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Scandals with Bite #3
Bite at First Sight
When Rafael Villar, Lord Vampire of London, stumbles upon a woman in the cemetery, he believes he’s found a vampire hunter—not the beautiful, intelligent stranger she proves to be.
Cassandra Burton is enthralled by the scarred, disfigured vampire who took her prisoner. The aspiring physician was robbing graves to pursue her studies—and he might turn out to be her greatest subject yet. So they form a bargain: one kiss for every experiment. As their passion grows and Rafe begins to heal, only one question remains: can Cassandra see the man beyond the monster?
Cassandra Burton is enthralled by the scarred, disfigured vampire who took her prisoner. The aspiring physician was robbing graves to pursue her studies—and he might turn out to be her greatest subject yet. So they form a bargain: one kiss for every experiment. As their passion grows and Rafe begins to heal, only one question remains: can Cassandra see the man beyond the monster?
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 7, 2015
37 people are currently reading
937 people want to read
About the author
Brooklyn Ann
41 books603 followersFormerly an auto-mechanic, Brooklyn Ann thrives on writing romance, urban fantasy, and horror novels featuring unconventional heroines and heroes who adore them. Author of historical paranormal romance in her critically acclaimed “Scandals with Bite” series, urban fantasy in the cult favorite, “Brides of Prophecy” novels, rockstar romance in the award-winning, “Hearts of Metal” series, and horror in the “B Mine” series, horror romances riffing on the 1970s and 1980s B horror movies that feature a Final Couple instead of a Final Girl.
She lives in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho with her gamer son, rockstar/IT Guy boyfriend, three cats, a few project cars, an extensive book collection, and miscellaneous horror memorabilia.
She can be found online at https://brooklynannauthor.com as well as on Twitter, Facebook, Mastodon, and Instagram.
For exclusive updates, sneak peeks, and giveaways, sign up for Brooklyn Ann’s Newsletter at https://www.brooklynannauthor.com/new...
She lives in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho with her gamer son, rockstar/IT Guy boyfriend, three cats, a few project cars, an extensive book collection, and miscellaneous horror memorabilia.
She can be found online at https://brooklynannauthor.com as well as on Twitter, Facebook, Mastodon, and Instagram.
For exclusive updates, sneak peeks, and giveaways, sign up for Brooklyn Ann’s Newsletter at https://www.brooklynannauthor.com/new...
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 115 reviews
May 22, 2017
Cassandra shook her head at the unreasonable craving. Never before had she wished to touch another person so intimately. Her experience in the marriage bed had been a chore she'd endured with dread. But with Rafe...
She knew it would be different with him than with her late husband. Just how different, she had no notion...but she was now resolved to find out.
After all, she could be dead in mere weeks.
Do you like grumpy-grumpy men who scowl a lot and are grumpy? And they have good reason to be grumpy, because half their face is hideously scarred and they are unable to use their burned left arm? ("Your left arm is dead and hangs lifeless at your side. Lean on the crutch! Left foot turned in. Tilt your head and glare with your good eye!" <---- 10 points for anyone who knows what that quote is from without looking it up. Hint: It's one of my all-time favorite films.)
ANYWAY. Rafael Villar is grumpy. He has spent the last two books (Bite Me, Your Grace and One Bite Per Night) scowling and making disparaging remarks about life. But he has always been a good man inside, just a curmudgeon. Bitter, alone, and convinced no woman could love a 'damaged, ugly' man like himself, Rafael is resigned to his solitary existence.
But as Lord Vampire of London, he has duties. And when he hears that a vampire hunter is disturbing his people, it's his responsibility to deal with the problem. Imagine his surprise when he comes upon the Countess Cassandra Burton digging up graves. But she is no vampire hunter! She wants to be a physician, but of course, as a woman in 1823, she is barred from every medical school in the land. Therefore she has turned to graverobbing!
Rafael bites Cassandra, intending to erase her memory of his kind, only to find out that she is one of the rare mortals who can resist vampire mind control. Now he only has two choices: kill her or Change her into a vampire!
...
This is what I suggest you do. Okay. ONE: Get a large bowl of some kind of fattening, delicious, easily-munchable snack. Examples: potato chips, popcorn, M&Ms... whatever makes you happy. TWO: Pick whichever one of these Brooklyn Ann books catches your fancy and sounds most appealing to you (you can read my reviews if you need help). THREE: Mindlessly eat some glorious foods while reading this fun, silly, sweet book full of kissing and very cheesy dialogue.
Yes. That is my prescription. *nod nod*
...
Rafael is tall, dark, scarred, and handsome with a worthless left arm. He is a Spaniard and a boxer and grumpy. He likes cigars. Shunned by the mortals in high society for his frightening appearance, he lives a lonely life and he likes it, damn it! Who needs friends and love!?!? Not him.
The widow Cassandra is a fiesty, independent woman who is very smart and determined to be a physician! Nothing will stand in her way! Her fiery red hair and disdain for what is 'proper' set her apart from other women in the ton. She is a widow, but her husband was a total dud who was horrible in bed and also cheated on her. But she bears him no ill will. She was actually happy to have his attentions turned somewhere else. LOL
HIGHLIGHTS:
1.) It's very cheesy. This is a plus - at least for me.
She raised the shovel, ready to plunge it into the soft soil. "I am not afraid. I am NOT."
"You should be." A sinister, accented voice pierced her consciousness.
The shovel fell from her nerveless fingers, thudding onto the cold ground.
Cassandra knew that voice; it had the rich, dark cadence that had haunted her dreams since the night she first met HIM.
O.O *reaches for peanut M&Ms* This gonna be goooooooood...
2.) KISSING. OMG, so much kissing. You can never have enough kissing. Actually, what Rafael really wants in his grumpy heart is kissing. No, not sex! This isn't a euphemism for anything. I mean kissing!
Rafael's voice was low and provocative as he answered slowly. "I will let you study me... in exchange for one thing."
Her breath caught. "And that would be?"
His burning gaze swept her with tangible intensity. "I want a kiss. One for each study."
Cassandra can't believe her ears - or her good fortune! She loves kissing. Yay!
Then tons and tons of kissing happens. The couple doesn't even have sex until 58%! Yay! Slow burn, tons of kissing. *Carmen is happy* If you want MORE DETAILS about the extensive kissing, please see my status updates below the review.
The kissing could have been more detailed but I'll take what I can get. ;)
3.) Vampire mythos - 1800s London! Vampire lords! (Females can be lords too! And are addressed as 'my lord' and are just as powerful as the males.) Very fun. I liked Ann's worldbuilding and lore.
4.) New vocabulary.
"Don't be a ninnyhammer."
Actually, not only with slang: I liked the great vocabulary Ann uses in this series. I learned some new words - which is uncommon for me reading romance novels.
5.) Warm-hypothermia-victims-with-your-body-heat-it's-sexy trope. One of my all-time favorite tropes. Always enjoyable no matter how many times it is trotted out.
6.) Cassandra has Rafael smoke medicinal marijuana! Hilarious, and completely unexpected. o.O I love when romance authors have fun like this.
...
LOWLIGHTS:
1.) Traitorous-body trope. This is used four times (FOUR!) in the novel and I was like, "OMG, make it stop." o.O This is one of my least favorite tropes and it needs to die.
Her traitorous body quivered at his proximity.
and
Despite her doomed situation, her traitorous body reveled in the feel of his arms around her...
And
Her traitorous body warmed at the thought.
Even men are getting in on the act, sick of being ignored by this tired trope!
Rafe took bitter enjoyment in the battle, relishing every cut he made on Clayton's traitorous body.
JUST MAKE IT STOP!!!
2.) Erotic bloodsucking. Bloodsucking is disgusting, end of story.
3.) "Though perhaps you should take care not to exacerbate matters. Or else I may be tempted to wed you just for the legal right to take you over my knee."
Dear Rafael: Stop being disgusting.
'Kay, thanks, bye.
Thankfully, Ann did not pursue this plot point and spanking is never mentioned again. Because this "you are like a child in my eyes, but yet I want to fuck you" thing is very icky territory for me. You can do sexual spanking without this gross subtext and if you ARE going to put sexual spanking in your book I'd prefer it if you didn't make it all "daddy/child" like this because it's a turn-off for me. (Maybe it's a turn-on for you, and that's okay! ;) but don't expect ME to be on board.)
NEUTRAL:
1.) Minor rape plot point. Does NOT involve any main characters, but a minor side character. All rape (and gang-rape is included) happensoff-screen off-page. Still, disturbing. I do not like this. Especially since Ann seems to be gearing up to use the woman as the heroine in her next novel - which I don't mind that part. But I do mind her pairing her with this UTTER ASSHOLE WHO I HATE, who will be the hero in the next book, but I think he is a sneering, condescending, patronizing jerk-face and I don't like where she is going with this, and I wish we could have just done this book with no rape.
But the rape's not done in a way I despise (i.e. graphic, described, on-page, inside-the-rapist's-head trope, is the main focus of the book... etc., etc.,) So it's landing in "neutral territory" for me.
...
So... How's the sex?
Well. There are four sex scenes and the second one was very good, I think. The others were just okay - and the first one had RIDICULOUSLY little foreplay and I was upset. :( Hmmmmmm, don't read these books for the sex, is what I'm saying. Read them for the fluffy, fun, cheesy goodness. It's not BAD sex, but it's not going to have you like this: O.O But I really did like Sex Scene #2 so there is hope. (P.S. This is totally subjective, you could think the sex is the "hottest thing ever OMG)."
...
Tl;dr - Do you want to read about people who love kissing!?? And a grumpy, scarred man who thinks he's unlovable finding his true love?!?!? And a woman determined to be a physician and heal the sick despite the sexist time period she was born in?!?!? And melted cheesy goodness smeared all over that on top?!?!!?
Well, then. This is an excellent series for you.
A total guilty pleasure (but I feel zero guilt, 'cause I'm not into hating myself like that). Highly recommended. I was neglecting all my work and errands and duties in order to read JUST ONE MORE PAGE and that's about the highest compliment I can give a romance book. ;)
5 ROMANCE STARS
She knew it would be different with him than with her late husband. Just how different, she had no notion...but she was now resolved to find out.
After all, she could be dead in mere weeks.
Do you like grumpy-grumpy men who scowl a lot and are grumpy? And they have good reason to be grumpy, because half their face is hideously scarred and they are unable to use their burned left arm? ("Your left arm is dead and hangs lifeless at your side. Lean on the crutch! Left foot turned in. Tilt your head and glare with your good eye!" <---- 10 points for anyone who knows what that quote is from without looking it up. Hint: It's one of my all-time favorite films.)
ANYWAY. Rafael Villar is grumpy. He has spent the last two books (Bite Me, Your Grace and One Bite Per Night) scowling and making disparaging remarks about life. But he has always been a good man inside, just a curmudgeon. Bitter, alone, and convinced no woman could love a 'damaged, ugly' man like himself, Rafael is resigned to his solitary existence.
But as Lord Vampire of London, he has duties. And when he hears that a vampire hunter is disturbing his people, it's his responsibility to deal with the problem. Imagine his surprise when he comes upon the Countess Cassandra Burton digging up graves. But she is no vampire hunter! She wants to be a physician, but of course, as a woman in 1823, she is barred from every medical school in the land. Therefore she has turned to graverobbing!
Rafael bites Cassandra, intending to erase her memory of his kind, only to find out that she is one of the rare mortals who can resist vampire mind control. Now he only has two choices: kill her or Change her into a vampire!
...
This is what I suggest you do. Okay. ONE: Get a large bowl of some kind of fattening, delicious, easily-munchable snack. Examples: potato chips, popcorn, M&Ms... whatever makes you happy. TWO: Pick whichever one of these Brooklyn Ann books catches your fancy and sounds most appealing to you (you can read my reviews if you need help). THREE: Mindlessly eat some glorious foods while reading this fun, silly, sweet book full of kissing and very cheesy dialogue.
Yes. That is my prescription. *nod nod*
...
Rafael is tall, dark, scarred, and handsome with a worthless left arm. He is a Spaniard and a boxer and grumpy. He likes cigars. Shunned by the mortals in high society for his frightening appearance, he lives a lonely life and he likes it, damn it! Who needs friends and love!?!? Not him.
The widow Cassandra is a fiesty, independent woman who is very smart and determined to be a physician! Nothing will stand in her way! Her fiery red hair and disdain for what is 'proper' set her apart from other women in the ton. She is a widow, but her husband was a total dud who was horrible in bed and also cheated on her. But she bears him no ill will. She was actually happy to have his attentions turned somewhere else. LOL
HIGHLIGHTS:
1.) It's very cheesy. This is a plus - at least for me.
She raised the shovel, ready to plunge it into the soft soil. "I am not afraid. I am NOT."
"You should be." A sinister, accented voice pierced her consciousness.
The shovel fell from her nerveless fingers, thudding onto the cold ground.
Cassandra knew that voice; it had the rich, dark cadence that had haunted her dreams since the night she first met HIM.
O.O *reaches for peanut M&Ms* This gonna be goooooooood...
2.) KISSING. OMG, so much kissing. You can never have enough kissing. Actually, what Rafael really wants in his grumpy heart is kissing. No, not sex! This isn't a euphemism for anything. I mean kissing!
Rafael's voice was low and provocative as he answered slowly. "I will let you study me... in exchange for one thing."
Her breath caught. "And that would be?"
His burning gaze swept her with tangible intensity. "I want a kiss. One for each study."
Cassandra can't believe her ears - or her good fortune! She loves kissing. Yay!
Then tons and tons of kissing happens. The couple doesn't even have sex until 58%! Yay! Slow burn, tons of kissing. *Carmen is happy* If you want MORE DETAILS about the extensive kissing, please see my status updates below the review.
The kissing could have been more detailed but I'll take what I can get. ;)
3.) Vampire mythos - 1800s London! Vampire lords! (Females can be lords too! And are addressed as 'my lord' and are just as powerful as the males.) Very fun. I liked Ann's worldbuilding and lore.
4.) New vocabulary.
"Don't be a ninnyhammer."
Actually, not only with slang: I liked the great vocabulary Ann uses in this series. I learned some new words - which is uncommon for me reading romance novels.
5.) Warm-hypothermia-victims-with-your-body-heat-it's-sexy trope. One of my all-time favorite tropes. Always enjoyable no matter how many times it is trotted out.
6.) Cassandra has Rafael smoke medicinal marijuana! Hilarious, and completely unexpected. o.O I love when romance authors have fun like this.
...
LOWLIGHTS:
1.) Traitorous-body trope. This is used four times (FOUR!) in the novel and I was like, "OMG, make it stop." o.O This is one of my least favorite tropes and it needs to die.
Her traitorous body quivered at his proximity.
and
Despite her doomed situation, her traitorous body reveled in the feel of his arms around her...
And
Her traitorous body warmed at the thought.
Even men are getting in on the act, sick of being ignored by this tired trope!
Rafe took bitter enjoyment in the battle, relishing every cut he made on Clayton's traitorous body.
JUST MAKE IT STOP!!!
2.) Erotic bloodsucking. Bloodsucking is disgusting, end of story.
3.) "Though perhaps you should take care not to exacerbate matters. Or else I may be tempted to wed you just for the legal right to take you over my knee."
Dear Rafael: Stop being disgusting.
'Kay, thanks, bye.
Thankfully, Ann did not pursue this plot point and spanking is never mentioned again. Because this "you are like a child in my eyes, but yet I want to fuck you" thing is very icky territory for me. You can do sexual spanking without this gross subtext and if you ARE going to put sexual spanking in your book I'd prefer it if you didn't make it all "daddy/child" like this because it's a turn-off for me. (Maybe it's a turn-on for you, and that's okay! ;) but don't expect ME to be on board.)
NEUTRAL:
1.) Minor rape plot point. Does NOT involve any main characters, but a minor side character. All rape (and gang-rape is included) happens
But the rape's not done in a way I despise (i.e. graphic, described, on-page, inside-the-rapist's-head trope, is the main focus of the book... etc., etc.,) So it's landing in "neutral territory" for me.
...
So... How's the sex?
Well. There are four sex scenes and the second one was very good, I think. The others were just okay - and the first one had RIDICULOUSLY little foreplay and I was upset. :( Hmmmmmm, don't read these books for the sex, is what I'm saying. Read them for the fluffy, fun, cheesy goodness. It's not BAD sex, but it's not going to have you like this: O.O But I really did like Sex Scene #2 so there is hope. (P.S. This is totally subjective, you could think the sex is the "hottest thing ever OMG)."
...
Tl;dr - Do you want to read about people who love kissing!?? And a grumpy, scarred man who thinks he's unlovable finding his true love?!?!? And a woman determined to be a physician and heal the sick despite the sexist time period she was born in?!?!? And melted cheesy goodness smeared all over that on top?!?!!?
Well, then. This is an excellent series for you.
A total guilty pleasure (but I feel zero guilt, 'cause I'm not into hating myself like that). Highly recommended. I was neglecting all my work and errands and duties in order to read JUST ONE MORE PAGE and that's about the highest compliment I can give a romance book. ;)
5 ROMANCE STARS
June 23, 2017
This was thoroughly enjoyable.
Rafe is a babe.
Plus this had WAY more sex than the last two. Oh! And
And bonus points go to the fact that this one used the words LABIA AND CLITORIS! I AM SO HAPPY THAT BROOKLYN ANN SEEMS TO BE LEARNING WORDS FOR LADY PARTS THAT DON'T INVOLVE THE TERM "secret place" Maybe in the next one she will use the word VAGINA? We can only hope!
I really liked seeing the cast from the other books in here, it was great.
Cheesy as hell, but I ate that shit up with a spoon. Delicious.
Bring on the next one!
4 Stars!
Rafe is a babe.
Plus this had WAY more sex than the last two. Oh! And
And bonus points go to the fact that this one used the words LABIA AND CLITORIS! I AM SO HAPPY THAT BROOKLYN ANN SEEMS TO BE LEARNING WORDS FOR LADY PARTS THAT DON'T INVOLVE THE TERM "secret place" Maybe in the next one she will use the word VAGINA? We can only hope!
I really liked seeing the cast from the other books in here, it was great.
Cheesy as hell, but I ate that shit up with a spoon. Delicious.
Bring on the next one!
4 Stars!
April 23, 2015
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
3 Stars!
I have to admit that I was very interested in the whole idea behind this book. I love historical romances and I love paranormal romances. Merging them together in the same story sounds like the perfect plan. It is a good plan and I wonder why I haven't seen this before. Maybe paranormal historical romances are around and I have just been missing them. I am going to keep my eyes open from now on because this is an idea that can work quite well.
This wasn't the perfect book and to be honest I thought that a whole lot of it just felt silly. Cassandra didn't really seem to care what people thought in most areas of the book. She didn't care what proper society thought of her. She pushed forward in her pursuit of knowledge and worked to become a doctor despite the fact it was unheard of at the time. She didn't seem like she had a problem pointing things out to Rafe in most areas so it really felt odd that she would hold back the fact that she was attracted to him. The way they danced around each other just didn't seem true to either character.
Rafe is in a bind. Some of the vampires that he rules are staging a revolt plus he has to figure out what to do with Cassandra. When Cassandra wants to try to heal his useless arm, he knows that he would be a fool to decline that offer. Rafe is actually in a position to either lose everything or finally have more than he ever imagined.
This was the third book in the series but I had no trouble jumping in the series at this point. This story stands on its own. I found the second half of the book to be incredibly fast paced which I loved. The second half of the book also had many more characters involved, many were probably from previous books in the series, and I found it a bit overwhelming to keep everyone straight. The first half of the book felt much slower. The dialog between the characters was good but I never really felt the chemistry between the couple.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys paranormal romance. This is the first book by Brooklyn Ann that I have had a chance to read but I plan to go back and read the first two books in this series very soon.
I received a copy of this book from Sourcebooks - Casablanca via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an honest review.
3 Stars!
I have to admit that I was very interested in the whole idea behind this book. I love historical romances and I love paranormal romances. Merging them together in the same story sounds like the perfect plan. It is a good plan and I wonder why I haven't seen this before. Maybe paranormal historical romances are around and I have just been missing them. I am going to keep my eyes open from now on because this is an idea that can work quite well.
This wasn't the perfect book and to be honest I thought that a whole lot of it just felt silly. Cassandra didn't really seem to care what people thought in most areas of the book. She didn't care what proper society thought of her. She pushed forward in her pursuit of knowledge and worked to become a doctor despite the fact it was unheard of at the time. She didn't seem like she had a problem pointing things out to Rafe in most areas so it really felt odd that she would hold back the fact that she was attracted to him. The way they danced around each other just didn't seem true to either character.
Rafe is in a bind. Some of the vampires that he rules are staging a revolt plus he has to figure out what to do with Cassandra. When Cassandra wants to try to heal his useless arm, he knows that he would be a fool to decline that offer. Rafe is actually in a position to either lose everything or finally have more than he ever imagined.
This was the third book in the series but I had no trouble jumping in the series at this point. This story stands on its own. I found the second half of the book to be incredibly fast paced which I loved. The second half of the book also had many more characters involved, many were probably from previous books in the series, and I found it a bit overwhelming to keep everyone straight. The first half of the book felt much slower. The dialog between the characters was good but I never really felt the chemistry between the couple.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys paranormal romance. This is the first book by Brooklyn Ann that I have had a chance to read but I plan to go back and read the first two books in this series very soon.
I received a copy of this book from Sourcebooks - Casablanca via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an honest review.
February 4, 2015
Rafe has a stick up his butt which made this story so much more interesting, "Rafe tugged her closer before she could trip over a gravestone. "Damn it, woman. Devil take your wagon! You fail to grasp the severity of this situation." His thoughts are not always innocent, actually with Rafe there's never anything innocent in his thoughts, "I need to go hunting now," he rasped. Before I tear off your clothes and plunge my c*** and my fangs inside you." My favorite scene was with him and Vincent they were getting measured for the ball that they and their ladies were going to attend:
"Lydia is enduring the same fate, I may remind you." Vincent remarked. "And she is doubtless freezing, being forced to stand there in only her chemise." A rakish smile spread across his features. "Perhaps we could go down and have a peek."
Rafe scowled. "I don't want you looking at my woman."
Vincent folded his arms and glared. "Well, I don't want you looking at my woman!"
I swear no matter how old these vampire men become or age they're still like little kids which is why I love this series, it's always a fun read.
January 11, 2015
A delightful blend of regency glamour and paranormal thrills, Bite at First Sight was a fantastic romance. I absolutely loved this book and I thought it was a wonderful read.
Cassandra was a lovely heroine. She was very smart and wanted nothing more than to be a doctor, though the rules of the age prevented that. But, that didn't stop her from learning all she could and she carried that determination over when things in her life became, well, different. She was a clever, strong character and I really liked her.
Rafael was also great. In the first two books in the series, he came off as gruff and somewhat taciturn. In this book, he still did but we get to see the other sides of him. His determination to protect the vampires that were left in his charge, the kindness that he was reluctant to reveal, and his sweetness when he fell in love. He really was adorable and I liked him as well.
The romance was very well done. Cassandra and Rafael had been interested in each other from when they met at another's wedding and, after being forced to be in each other's company for several weeks, those feelings had a chance to deepen. And, the attraction between them definitely came to boil. I thought they were a lovely couple.
The plot kept me engaged all the way through, staying fast paced from the start. The threat of rebellion and betrayal definitely added some thrills and kept me on the edge of my seat. I love the story and the ending was perfect.
Bite at First Sight was a dark, thrilling, and romantic historical/paranormal romance that I really loved. Romance lovers, this is a book you won't want to miss.
*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Cassandra was a lovely heroine. She was very smart and wanted nothing more than to be a doctor, though the rules of the age prevented that. But, that didn't stop her from learning all she could and she carried that determination over when things in her life became, well, different. She was a clever, strong character and I really liked her.
Rafael was also great. In the first two books in the series, he came off as gruff and somewhat taciturn. In this book, he still did but we get to see the other sides of him. His determination to protect the vampires that were left in his charge, the kindness that he was reluctant to reveal, and his sweetness when he fell in love. He really was adorable and I liked him as well.
The romance was very well done. Cassandra and Rafael had been interested in each other from when they met at another's wedding and, after being forced to be in each other's company for several weeks, those feelings had a chance to deepen. And, the attraction between them definitely came to boil. I thought they were a lovely couple.
The plot kept me engaged all the way through, staying fast paced from the start. The threat of rebellion and betrayal definitely added some thrills and kept me on the edge of my seat. I love the story and the ending was perfect.
Bite at First Sight was a dark, thrilling, and romantic historical/paranormal romance that I really loved. Romance lovers, this is a book you won't want to miss.
*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
March 26, 2015
I'm not a reader of historical romance. But I am a lover of paranormal romance, I'm partial to a sexy vampire and the blurb for this just grabbed me. Brooklyn Ann has brought her reader a 19th century romance filled with glamour, thrills, emotion, fight and a vampiric hero you can't not fall in love with. Rafael Villar, Lord Vampire of London is by no means perfect, but that is what made him just that...
Cassandra Burton, Dowager Countess of Rosslyn has dreams of being a Doctor, but with it being frowned upon because she is a woman, she's self-teaching. And stealing bodies from graves to practice on. When she's caught in the act, she doesn't expect to be held captive by a sexy Vamp, nor does he expect to find an intelligent, determined and inquisitive lady who sees beneath his scars and disfuguration.
I loved Cassandra, to find a strong heroine determined to follow her heart and achieve her goals in this time period, despite the obstacles was a real treat and the fact that Rafe supports her made him even more sexy in this girl's eyes. Whilst hard to judge at first and with a gruff exterior, as he falls he softens and he and Cassandra had a superb chemistry, bringing emotion, intimacy and passion. And with the accompanying storyline of Rafe's second-in-line fighting for his title of Lord, rebellion and bloody battles brought action, making it even more captivating.
Brooklyn Ann is a new author to me, but having read Bite at First Sight, I'm off to grab the first two books in this series. Her style is fast-paced yet flies and whilst it's clear characters from the earlier books make appearances, this can easily be read as a standalone; rather than feel I've missed something, it's simply intrigued me as to their stories.
This review will feature on Read Your Writes Book Reviews.
Copy received courtesy of Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley for an honest and unbiased opinion.
Cassandra Burton, Dowager Countess of Rosslyn has dreams of being a Doctor, but with it being frowned upon because she is a woman, she's self-teaching. And stealing bodies from graves to practice on. When she's caught in the act, she doesn't expect to be held captive by a sexy Vamp, nor does he expect to find an intelligent, determined and inquisitive lady who sees beneath his scars and disfuguration.
I loved Cassandra, to find a strong heroine determined to follow her heart and achieve her goals in this time period, despite the obstacles was a real treat and the fact that Rafe supports her made him even more sexy in this girl's eyes. Whilst hard to judge at first and with a gruff exterior, as he falls he softens and he and Cassandra had a superb chemistry, bringing emotion, intimacy and passion. And with the accompanying storyline of Rafe's second-in-line fighting for his title of Lord, rebellion and bloody battles brought action, making it even more captivating.
Brooklyn Ann is a new author to me, but having read Bite at First Sight, I'm off to grab the first two books in this series. Her style is fast-paced yet flies and whilst it's clear characters from the earlier books make appearances, this can easily be read as a standalone; rather than feel I've missed something, it's simply intrigued me as to their stories.
This review will feature on Read Your Writes Book Reviews.
Copy received courtesy of Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley for an honest and unbiased opinion.
April 30, 2015
Cassandra wants to be a doctor, but that’s not happening in 1823. She’s in a graveyard, looking for a body to study, when she’s set upon by Rafe, the Lord of London vampires. She’s of course resistant to having her memory wiped, so they’re forced into close proximity while he decides if she dies, or dies and lives again as a vamp. In the middle of it all, romance happens.
The Good, The Bad and Everything In Between
- Who doesn’t like vampires...in London? : ok, so I see that and I keep singing that old song Werewolves of London. RIP Warren Zevon. *sign of the cross*
https://youtu.be/iDpYBT0XyvA
Which has nothing to do with this book, just thought I'd share the inner workings of my mind. Scary, I know. Ahem. Anyway, I haven’t read a good old vampire romance in a while, and there haven’t been as many as there were a couple of years ago, when it felt like everyone and their grandmama was writing about vamps. Add to that a woman aspiring to be a doctor in the 1800s, struggling against societal mores and I was intrigued. The ‘verse is interesting with a detailed vampire hierarchy and rules for “making” new ones that made sense. Other things....well...
- Living in sin in 1823? Um, ok : Early on in the story Cassandra is moved into Rafe’s home, kept prisoner, pretty much in name only, but to the outside world, they were lovers. Now, I’m willing to go with the flow when it comes to vampires, but what I found harder to believe is that a woman would be so cavalier about being ruined and unable to continue in polite society. It was eventually addressed, but I think it would have helped to have that come to light earlier.
- Like hopping on a moving train : When I started reading, I didn't realize this is the third book in the series and I was a bit woozy trying to get my bearings in this ‘verse. There was no emotional connection or expectations for me with these two, yet there were several references to their attraction in previous books, which seem to indicate that this has been building between them. By the end of the book, the couples from the first two books came into play and I might have connected more with them all had I read the earlier books.
- The prose was a bit flowery : Perhaps this is a case of “it’s not the book, it’s my mood” but the language tended towards the overly descriptive and occasionally, a wee bit melodramatic. Rafe and Cassandra were very insecure for their own reasons, and alot of their inner monologue just came off as a little melodramatic. This is personal preference, and you may not mind prose that borders on the purple variety, especially for love scenes.
The Bottom Line
I liked it, even if it took me a while to get into the swing of things. This may work better for fans of the series, though.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
The Good, The Bad and Everything In Between
- Who doesn’t like vampires...in London? : ok, so I see that and I keep singing that old song Werewolves of London. RIP Warren Zevon. *sign of the cross*
https://youtu.be/iDpYBT0XyvA
Which has nothing to do with this book, just thought I'd share the inner workings of my mind. Scary, I know. Ahem. Anyway, I haven’t read a good old vampire romance in a while, and there haven’t been as many as there were a couple of years ago, when it felt like everyone and their grandmama was writing about vamps. Add to that a woman aspiring to be a doctor in the 1800s, struggling against societal mores and I was intrigued. The ‘verse is interesting with a detailed vampire hierarchy and rules for “making” new ones that made sense. Other things....well...
- Living in sin in 1823? Um, ok : Early on in the story Cassandra is moved into Rafe’s home, kept prisoner, pretty much in name only, but to the outside world, they were lovers. Now, I’m willing to go with the flow when it comes to vampires, but what I found harder to believe is that a woman would be so cavalier about being ruined and unable to continue in polite society. It was eventually addressed, but I think it would have helped to have that come to light earlier.
- Like hopping on a moving train : When I started reading, I didn't realize this is the third book in the series and I was a bit woozy trying to get my bearings in this ‘verse. There was no emotional connection or expectations for me with these two, yet there were several references to their attraction in previous books, which seem to indicate that this has been building between them. By the end of the book, the couples from the first two books came into play and I might have connected more with them all had I read the earlier books.
- The prose was a bit flowery : Perhaps this is a case of “it’s not the book, it’s my mood” but the language tended towards the overly descriptive and occasionally, a wee bit melodramatic. Rafe and Cassandra were very insecure for their own reasons, and alot of their inner monologue just came off as a little melodramatic. This is personal preference, and you may not mind prose that borders on the purple variety, especially for love scenes.
The Bottom Line
I liked it, even if it took me a while to get into the swing of things. This may work better for fans of the series, though.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
April 9, 2015
It has been quite a while since I have dived into a paranormal romance and I am so happy that Brooklyn Ann's BITE AT FIRST SIGHT, the third installment of the Scandals With Bite series, has brought me back. This book is wonderfully written and so descriptive, it makes me want to jump right in and enjoy the show. Cassandra and Rafael are strong and intriguing characters who keep the reader's attention from the first. The story is brimming with action and the perfect amount of romance to keep the reader on edge. This happens to be the first book I have had the pleasure to read by Brooklyn Ann and I have already gone and grabbed up the first two books in the series. Combining my fascination with vampires and historical romance, Brooklyn Ann has a new fan.
February 21, 2015
Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.
I have no idea why I haven't read a historical paranormal romance yet. I love paranormal romances and I love historical romances and putting them together would be a supernova of awesome. But I've been resisting them until now. Of course, now that I HAVE read one, I'm head over heels for them and I've already purchased the first book in this series!
I really liked Cassandra, the heroine, from page one. When she's introduced, she's in a cemetery, looking for fresh graves. I thought, "Oh dear, she's a grave robber! A female grave robber!" but it quickly became clear that she's no grave robber. She's actually an unofficial medical student and needs a cadaver to continue her studies. SHE has to procure the cadaver for herself because at the time of this book, women were not permitted in the medical field and they were denied entry into medical schools, which is why I called her an "unofficial" medical student. So obviously, I was rooting for her because...well, damn the establishment, that's why! And You Go Girl is another reason why! LOL! But as the story progressed and I learned more about her , I ended up loving her because of her compassion, her inquisitiveness and her determination. I mean, she was totally undaunted! I thought she was just awesome.
Rafe, the hero, was SO sexy! He reminded me a lot of Vlad in Jeaniene Frost's Night Prince series. Rafe and Vlad both have some scarring that people notice first. Even though Rafe is much younger than Vlad at 300 years old, he still seemed extremely powerful, just as Vlad did. And anyone who could quiet Cassandra with just a look is definitely formidable! Anyway, I guess I just really dig these adversary to lover stories. Rafe finds Cassandra in the graveyard at the start of the book and he assumes that she is a vampire hunter. When he realizes that not only is she NOT a vampire hunter but that she is also immune to his mesmerization, that's when things get really interesting! I loved that even though Rafe is this powerful vampire leader, he's also got an open mind that wasn't really obvious at first. If he didn't have an open mind, he probably would have just killed Cassandra and continued on with his night! I also loved that Rafe was occasionally bothered by the fact that many people - humans and vampires - judged him by his appearance. I guess it was nice to see a slightly softer side of him when he's pretty much a bad ass for most of the novel.
Rafe and Cassandra were definitely hot together. There isn't a lot of Sexy Time in the first part of the book but once the kisses-as-payment scheme gets started, the Sexy Time amps up. I really liked that they both had no use for society/the ton and that they both, in a way, flaunted their eccentricities. As much as I love historical romances, I still love when a character doesn't abide by the rules of the day. It must be the rebel in me...LOL! It was a lot of fun to see how Rafe changes as he spends more time with Cassandra. He sees that she actually DOES desire him and it floors him/surprises him but it also gets him to see her as more than just a problem that has to be dealt with.
Bite at First Sight is Book 3 in the Scandals with Bite series but I think it would be fine to read this as a stand alone as I did. Sure, it was obvious that couples were forming before this book but I felt that it in NO way affected my enjoyment of the story. I think I would absolutely recommend this book, especially to fans of paranormal romance. I didn't know what to expect with a historical paranormal romance novel but now that I've read this one, I hope that they are ALL this good! I felt that the writing was great and the pacing was steady and even. There were a lot of laughs and plenty of tension while Cassandra's fate hangs in the balance. Now, there's lots of other "stuff" in this book that I loved but it's too much to go over all in one review! I hope that I've at least whet your appetite for more! I had so much fun reading this book and I think that lots of other readers will as well. Don't wait - go grab this one today!
I have no idea why I haven't read a historical paranormal romance yet. I love paranormal romances and I love historical romances and putting them together would be a supernova of awesome. But I've been resisting them until now. Of course, now that I HAVE read one, I'm head over heels for them and I've already purchased the first book in this series!
I really liked Cassandra, the heroine, from page one. When she's introduced, she's in a cemetery, looking for fresh graves. I thought, "Oh dear, she's a grave robber! A female grave robber!" but it quickly became clear that she's no grave robber. She's actually an unofficial medical student and needs a cadaver to continue her studies. SHE has to procure the cadaver for herself because at the time of this book, women were not permitted in the medical field and they were denied entry into medical schools, which is why I called her an "unofficial" medical student. So obviously, I was rooting for her because...well, damn the establishment, that's why! And You Go Girl is another reason why! LOL! But as the story progressed and I learned more about her , I ended up loving her because of her compassion, her inquisitiveness and her determination. I mean, she was totally undaunted! I thought she was just awesome.
Rafe, the hero, was SO sexy! He reminded me a lot of Vlad in Jeaniene Frost's Night Prince series. Rafe and Vlad both have some scarring that people notice first. Even though Rafe is much younger than Vlad at 300 years old, he still seemed extremely powerful, just as Vlad did. And anyone who could quiet Cassandra with just a look is definitely formidable! Anyway, I guess I just really dig these adversary to lover stories. Rafe finds Cassandra in the graveyard at the start of the book and he assumes that she is a vampire hunter. When he realizes that not only is she NOT a vampire hunter but that she is also immune to his mesmerization, that's when things get really interesting! I loved that even though Rafe is this powerful vampire leader, he's also got an open mind that wasn't really obvious at first. If he didn't have an open mind, he probably would have just killed Cassandra and continued on with his night! I also loved that Rafe was occasionally bothered by the fact that many people - humans and vampires - judged him by his appearance. I guess it was nice to see a slightly softer side of him when he's pretty much a bad ass for most of the novel.
Rafe and Cassandra were definitely hot together. There isn't a lot of Sexy Time in the first part of the book but once the kisses-as-payment scheme gets started, the Sexy Time amps up. I really liked that they both had no use for society/the ton and that they both, in a way, flaunted their eccentricities. As much as I love historical romances, I still love when a character doesn't abide by the rules of the day. It must be the rebel in me...LOL! It was a lot of fun to see how Rafe changes as he spends more time with Cassandra. He sees that she actually DOES desire him and it floors him/surprises him but it also gets him to see her as more than just a problem that has to be dealt with.
Bite at First Sight is Book 3 in the Scandals with Bite series but I think it would be fine to read this as a stand alone as I did. Sure, it was obvious that couples were forming before this book but I felt that it in NO way affected my enjoyment of the story. I think I would absolutely recommend this book, especially to fans of paranormal romance. I didn't know what to expect with a historical paranormal romance novel but now that I've read this one, I hope that they are ALL this good! I felt that the writing was great and the pacing was steady and even. There were a lot of laughs and plenty of tension while Cassandra's fate hangs in the balance. Now, there's lots of other "stuff" in this book that I loved but it's too much to go over all in one review! I hope that I've at least whet your appetite for more! I had so much fun reading this book and I think that lots of other readers will as well. Don't wait - go grab this one today!
April 7, 2015
Happy Release Day!!!
I could hardly wait to get this one in my hands! I've thoroughly enjoyed the first books in the Scandals with Bite Series. I really wanted to see Rafael find his own HEA. When he finds someone robbing graves near a local vampire hangout, he just knows it's a vampire hunter. He's very taken aback when he realizes it's the beautiful woman he's been intrigued by. He's also pretty shocked to find that she's a doctor in training. Well, she's learning mostly on her own as woman aren't allowed to be doctors at that time.
He takes her prisoner, but she demands a lot from him. To his surprise, he usually lets her get her way. She really wants to see if she can help him regain use of his arm. Sunshine is no friend to Ms. Ann's vampires and he bears the scars to prove it. The doctor in Cassandra wants to help him. They agree to a bargain. She'll experiment on him and he'll take kisses for his payment. And what wonderful kisses they are!
We all know who the bad guys are...and I was really looking forward to seeing them get the slaps they so badly deserve. I also wanted to see Rafe find some love for himself, and Cassandra needed that comfort, too.
With kisses as payment, experiments, kidnappings, and a battle at midnight, this book was a really fun read. You don't have to read the others in the series, but I bet you'll want to! Now, I really want more of this world. It's really delightful.
Thank you, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca, for giving me the opportunity to read One Bite Per Night.
I could hardly wait to get this one in my hands! I've thoroughly enjoyed the first books in the Scandals with Bite Series. I really wanted to see Rafael find his own HEA. When he finds someone robbing graves near a local vampire hangout, he just knows it's a vampire hunter. He's very taken aback when he realizes it's the beautiful woman he's been intrigued by. He's also pretty shocked to find that she's a doctor in training. Well, she's learning mostly on her own as woman aren't allowed to be doctors at that time.
He takes her prisoner, but she demands a lot from him. To his surprise, he usually lets her get her way. She really wants to see if she can help him regain use of his arm. Sunshine is no friend to Ms. Ann's vampires and he bears the scars to prove it. The doctor in Cassandra wants to help him. They agree to a bargain. She'll experiment on him and he'll take kisses for his payment. And what wonderful kisses they are!
We all know who the bad guys are...and I was really looking forward to seeing them get the slaps they so badly deserve. I also wanted to see Rafe find some love for himself, and Cassandra needed that comfort, too.
With kisses as payment, experiments, kidnappings, and a battle at midnight, this book was a really fun read. You don't have to read the others in the series, but I bet you'll want to! Now, I really want more of this world. It's really delightful.
Thank you, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca, for giving me the opportunity to read One Bite Per Night.
April 22, 2015
As an aspiring physician, Cassandra, so when she’s captured by Raphael Villar, Lord Vampire of London, she makes a bargain with him – one kiss for every experiment in this riveting historical vampire romance.
When Raphael Villar stumbled upon the woman in a graveyard, he believed her to be a vampire hunter but instead she turns out to be a beautiful, intelligent woman who ignites his desires and the reader can’t help but be charmed by her curiosity and ambitious pursuit of knowledge despite being ridiculed for them. The attraction between Raphael and Cassandra slowly builds throughout the story into a burning and passionate romance that has them both yearning for more and the fast paced and smooth flowing plot captivates readers with lots of suspense, excitement and passion while the strong, compelling characters charms the readers into their story.
Raphael has enemies in his territory that has decided that Cassandra is the perfect tool to use to bring about Raphael’s downfall and the spine tingling suspense and excitement builds as the danger escalates and the intrigue thickens with lots of unexpected twists that keep the characters as well as the reader guessing. Raphael also has an important decision to make within a short amount of time or there will be dire consequence which adds depth and spice to the story while the well written scenes and details bring the story to life as the historical setting provides the perfect ambiance.
There is never a dull moment as the well-orchestrated events ensure that the readers can’t put the story down while some humorous dialogue and the feisty Cassandra adds smiles and charm. I haven’t had the pleasure of reading the previous books in the series and since the author ignited my curiosity about the characters of those books so well, I am looking forward to reading them as well as future books in the series.
- Eva
When Raphael Villar stumbled upon the woman in a graveyard, he believed her to be a vampire hunter but instead she turns out to be a beautiful, intelligent woman who ignites his desires and the reader can’t help but be charmed by her curiosity and ambitious pursuit of knowledge despite being ridiculed for them. The attraction between Raphael and Cassandra slowly builds throughout the story into a burning and passionate romance that has them both yearning for more and the fast paced and smooth flowing plot captivates readers with lots of suspense, excitement and passion while the strong, compelling characters charms the readers into their story.
Raphael has enemies in his territory that has decided that Cassandra is the perfect tool to use to bring about Raphael’s downfall and the spine tingling suspense and excitement builds as the danger escalates and the intrigue thickens with lots of unexpected twists that keep the characters as well as the reader guessing. Raphael also has an important decision to make within a short amount of time or there will be dire consequence which adds depth and spice to the story while the well written scenes and details bring the story to life as the historical setting provides the perfect ambiance.
There is never a dull moment as the well-orchestrated events ensure that the readers can’t put the story down while some humorous dialogue and the feisty Cassandra adds smiles and charm. I haven’t had the pleasure of reading the previous books in the series and since the author ignited my curiosity about the characters of those books so well, I am looking forward to reading them as well as future books in the series.
- Eva
May 5, 2015
Great book!
This was a really good vampire historical romance series. Loved all three books,
-
and this one
I wonder if there will be another coming out or if this was a trilogy.
I really enjoyed this story. The heroine, Cassandra who wants to be a doctor in the 1800's, she can't. She's a female. She was great. Strong, witty, smart, and beautiful.
The hero, Rafe Villar, scarred, brash, but still handsome, is also great. The two had had some very good chemistry together and a few well written sex scenes. This book had more sex in than the first two books (combined, maybe) LOL.
The story line and plot were good, and the story flowed very well. This book was not full of angst and misunderstandings. There was very little of that, which is a treat for sure.
There was lots of dialogue, which was great. I like lots of dialogue, it is so much better than reading their thoughts all the time. They actually communicated hence less angst and misunderstandings. Bonus.
If you like vampires and historical romance, you will like this series.
This was a really good vampire historical romance series. Loved all three books,
-
and this one
I wonder if there will be another coming out or if this was a trilogy.I really enjoyed this story. The heroine, Cassandra who wants to be a doctor in the 1800's, she can't. She's a female. She was great. Strong, witty, smart, and beautiful.
The hero, Rafe Villar, scarred, brash, but still handsome, is also great. The two had had some very good chemistry together and a few well written sex scenes. This book had more sex in than the first two books (combined, maybe) LOL.
The story line and plot were good, and the story flowed very well. This book was not full of angst and misunderstandings. There was very little of that, which is a treat for sure.
There was lots of dialogue, which was great. I like lots of dialogue, it is so much better than reading their thoughts all the time. They actually communicated hence less angst and misunderstandings. Bonus.
If you like vampires and historical romance, you will like this series.
dnf-skimmed-lost-interest
May 7, 2015DNF at 64%
Paranormal and historical romance together? Well, this is a first for me.
The switch of POVS is helpful to move the storyline forward, but I found myself uninterested in the scheming and plotting. The characters are bleh. The romance is bleh. The book is bleh. To choose the right word: Dull.
If I had liked the heroine or hero, I would have managed to finish this book, but I just couldn’t.
The heroine’s actions are too dense and unbelievable for me to fathom. She has no survival instincts whatsoever. Then only when she gets her feelings hurt, she finally decides to flee. And worse: There’s a scene where she concludes two vampires aren’t Rafe’s people just because her “exceptional memory” remembers they weren’t at the gathering. A gathering which included over 100 vampires! A gathering which she attended over a week ago! I’m not falling for it.
Since I didn't finish this book, I'm choosing not to rate it.
ARC provided by publisher and author via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Paranormal and historical romance together? Well, this is a first for me.
The switch of POVS is helpful to move the storyline forward, but I found myself uninterested in the scheming and plotting. The characters are bleh. The romance is bleh. The book is bleh. To choose the right word: Dull.
If I had liked the heroine or hero, I would have managed to finish this book, but I just couldn’t.
The heroine’s actions are too dense and unbelievable for me to fathom. She has no survival instincts whatsoever. Then only when she gets her feelings hurt, she finally decides to flee. And worse: There’s a scene where she concludes two vampires aren’t Rafe’s people just because her “exceptional memory” remembers they weren’t at the gathering. A gathering which included over 100 vampires! A gathering which she attended over a week ago! I’m not falling for it.
Since I didn't finish this book, I'm choosing not to rate it.
ARC provided by publisher and author via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 6, 2015
Don Rafael Villar, interim Lord of London know he has a big problem on his hands when he encounters Cassandra Burton, Lady Rosslyn knows as Countess in the cemetery. There has been some threats towards some of the vampire in London and Rafael is trying to get to the bottom of it. Lady Cassandra always wanted to become a doctor. She needs a cadaver to continue her studies. One unexpectedly confrontation and now both their lives are changed forever. I love a story about a disfigure male who thinks he is not worthy of love. It takes a wonderful lady to see past the image to the amazing male inside. I received a complimentary copy from the publisher thru NetGalley for an honest review.
April 4, 2015
I saw this one that blended vampires and historical romance so I thought I'd give it a go since I love that. I discovered this was the third book in a series with a groan, but then cheered up when I realized that I had the first book, hoping that the first book would help me get into this one easier. My plan worked like a charm although I probably would have been alright for the most part if I went without it. New couple and new circumstances helped with that. Still, things made much better sense along with the knowledge of who some of the players were and how things got sorted the way they did. The premise grabbed my attention and from there I had a good time with this vampire romance ala Beauty and the Beast style of story between a lady doctor and a scarred, bitter vampire.
Like the other heroines in the series, Lady Cassandra Burton's fire and ambition for her forbidden vocation lands her into danger when her need for a cadaver leads to a misunderstanding. The interim Lord Vampire of London, Rafe Villar, snatches a woman who is disturbing graves at night. He has caught a vampire hunter. Only when things get sorted, he realizes that he has caught a mere human and the human can't have her memories wiped so he must kill her or change her according to vampire law. His troubles are more complicated than that because first this is no stranger, but the friend of Ian's wife and he already changed a human so isn't powerful enough to change Cassandra. He is drawn to her and doesn't want her to die so he searches for other solutions not knowing that Ian's former second in command is resentful that the scarred, disabled Rafe was given charge of the city's vampires over him. Plotting in the shadows to stage a coups, the vampire can use the human woman that Rafe has in custody to further his plans.
Cassandra is irked to be a prisoner, but agrees to be reasonable if Rafael allows her to continue with her medical work and let her study him. She is afraid that he will decide to end her life so seeks to make herself indispensable by restoring function to his injured arm that has been useless to him for years. Rafe grudgingly cooperates, but what touches her is that he respects her skills and supports her dreams to be a doctor and physician. Cassandra is a scientist and doesn't believe in love or so she tries to convince herself as she feels something strong for the scarred vampire who doubts his ability to rule and worries over the trouble in his territory. She thinks he cares for her, but is it enough or will he follow the law and kill her.
This third book was not nearly as light and humorous as that first book I read. Oh, there is still humor to it as Cassandra and Rafe work out their differences and it did meander a tad in the early stages, but the stakes (forgive the pun) are higher and the plot gets darker. In the end, there are tragic losses and tension-filled climax. Though I was looking for it to be much like the first book, in truth, I was glad that it wasn't. I enjoyed this one much more as a result of the danger and darker feel with the betrayals and rebellion.
It runs hotter with the passionate romance too. Rafael and Cassandra offered backgrounds and personalities that had great chemistry. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about Rafe as a hero since in previous books, he has a smoldering broody nature that crossed into the cranky a lot, but that wasn't the case in his own book. Cassandra really did a number on him so that he was all twisted up inside. It took a while for Rafe and Cassandra's relationship to develop mostly because she had that cold, analytical scientist switch, but once they got going exciting sexy times commenced with a vengeance.
Lots of potential for further stories continuing off this one after meeting a few new intriguing characters. I am pleased to continue along with this series that appears to just get better and better. Those who enjoy blending the historical with the paranormal in a spicy romance should give these a go.
My thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Like the other heroines in the series, Lady Cassandra Burton's fire and ambition for her forbidden vocation lands her into danger when her need for a cadaver leads to a misunderstanding. The interim Lord Vampire of London, Rafe Villar, snatches a woman who is disturbing graves at night. He has caught a vampire hunter. Only when things get sorted, he realizes that he has caught a mere human and the human can't have her memories wiped so he must kill her or change her according to vampire law. His troubles are more complicated than that because first this is no stranger, but the friend of Ian's wife and he already changed a human so isn't powerful enough to change Cassandra. He is drawn to her and doesn't want her to die so he searches for other solutions not knowing that Ian's former second in command is resentful that the scarred, disabled Rafe was given charge of the city's vampires over him. Plotting in the shadows to stage a coups, the vampire can use the human woman that Rafe has in custody to further his plans.
Cassandra is irked to be a prisoner, but agrees to be reasonable if Rafael allows her to continue with her medical work and let her study him. She is afraid that he will decide to end her life so seeks to make herself indispensable by restoring function to his injured arm that has been useless to him for years. Rafe grudgingly cooperates, but what touches her is that he respects her skills and supports her dreams to be a doctor and physician. Cassandra is a scientist and doesn't believe in love or so she tries to convince herself as she feels something strong for the scarred vampire who doubts his ability to rule and worries over the trouble in his territory. She thinks he cares for her, but is it enough or will he follow the law and kill her.
This third book was not nearly as light and humorous as that first book I read. Oh, there is still humor to it as Cassandra and Rafe work out their differences and it did meander a tad in the early stages, but the stakes (forgive the pun) are higher and the plot gets darker. In the end, there are tragic losses and tension-filled climax. Though I was looking for it to be much like the first book, in truth, I was glad that it wasn't. I enjoyed this one much more as a result of the danger and darker feel with the betrayals and rebellion.
It runs hotter with the passionate romance too. Rafael and Cassandra offered backgrounds and personalities that had great chemistry. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about Rafe as a hero since in previous books, he has a smoldering broody nature that crossed into the cranky a lot, but that wasn't the case in his own book. Cassandra really did a number on him so that he was all twisted up inside. It took a while for Rafe and Cassandra's relationship to develop mostly because she had that cold, analytical scientist switch, but once they got going exciting sexy times commenced with a vengeance.
Lots of potential for further stories continuing off this one after meeting a few new intriguing characters. I am pleased to continue along with this series that appears to just get better and better. Those who enjoy blending the historical with the paranormal in a spicy romance should give these a go.
My thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 3, 2015
Listen up all my dearlings: the magnificent Brooklyn Ann has done it again. She asked me to review her latest in her Regency Vampire series "Bite At First Sight" and I am overjoyed!
Don Rafael Villars has taken over the position of The Lord of London-in charge of the vampire population. As part of his duties to protect vampire lives from hunters he catches a lone grave robber. Imagine his surprise when the person he catches turns out to be the beautiful Dowager Countess of Rosslyn, Lady Cassandra Burton, a lady who's intent was to acquire a cadaver in her aim to learn the arts of becoming a physician. Because scrubbing her memory clear of the knowledge of vampires does not work on Cassandra the law says he must imprison her and ask the Elders if he may turn her into a vampire or sentence her to death. He has always desired her but has kept his distance because of his scared face and his useless left arm...imagine his delight when his captive wants to heal his injuries and seems to harbor an intense infatuation with him too...all may be lost when the Elders finally send down their verdict. How can Rafe kill such a beauty who desires nothing more than to help him? And how can they both survive the vampire unrest garnered by a malcontent out to usurp his rule?
Again the multi talented writer that is ✿ ⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚Brooklyn Ann ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚✿ brings us another riveting addition to the Scandals With Bite series. I adored this look at love, vampirism and physician limitations and prejudice in the 19th century. What a woman wants she must work for three times as hard as a man...and even then be denied because she IS a woman! Join me in the love I have for all things paranormal and the author who is ringing my bell...HARD
Don Rafael Villars has taken over the position of The Lord of London-in charge of the vampire population. As part of his duties to protect vampire lives from hunters he catches a lone grave robber. Imagine his surprise when the person he catches turns out to be the beautiful Dowager Countess of Rosslyn, Lady Cassandra Burton, a lady who's intent was to acquire a cadaver in her aim to learn the arts of becoming a physician. Because scrubbing her memory clear of the knowledge of vampires does not work on Cassandra the law says he must imprison her and ask the Elders if he may turn her into a vampire or sentence her to death. He has always desired her but has kept his distance because of his scared face and his useless left arm...imagine his delight when his captive wants to heal his injuries and seems to harbor an intense infatuation with him too...all may be lost when the Elders finally send down their verdict. How can Rafe kill such a beauty who desires nothing more than to help him? And how can they both survive the vampire unrest garnered by a malcontent out to usurp his rule?
Again the multi talented writer that is ✿ ⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚Brooklyn Ann ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚✿ brings us another riveting addition to the Scandals With Bite series. I adored this look at love, vampirism and physician limitations and prejudice in the 19th century. What a woman wants she must work for three times as hard as a man...and even then be denied because she IS a woman! Join me in the love I have for all things paranormal and the author who is ringing my bell...HARD
November 18, 2015
Quiero hacerte el amor
I honestly didn’t realise how hot and sexy Spanish love words could be. I’ve been longing for Rafael’s book since the first book, waiting impatiently for this brooding, moody and sexy vampire to have his HEA. Rafael’s book lived up to my expectations and more. He is such an extremely sexy vampire and the things he said in Spanish to Cassandra…… wow.
“Te amo, Querida,” he whispered, stroking her hair. “Tueres mi luz en la oscuridad.”
Cassandra was just perfect for Rafael. She is just an incredible woman, who doesn’t let society’s stupid discrimination against her sex stop her from learning to be a doctor. She even robs graves (yes, this was weird, but strangely enough made me admire her more), to study the human anatomy. Which leads to Rafael revealing his vampire nature to her, and then having to hold her prisoner when he couldn’t erase her memory of this.
I loved Cassandra and Rafael together. And I absolutely loved watching Rafael fall in love with Cassandra. Their romance was wonderful, sweet at times, and very sexy at other times.
I don’t want to give away too much of the story, but I will say this book had a wonderful romance, great characters, a vampire fight at the end, and some very interesting new characters were introduced.
This is my favourite of the series so far, and I can’t wait to read the next books. I do hope the next one will be Lenore and the Lord of Rochester. Lenore definitely deserves a happy ending after all the despicable things done to her in this book.
April 9, 2015
ENJOYABLE PARANORMAL REGENCY ROMANCE!!
Bite at First Sight, was a very interesting and enjoyable Paranormal Regency Romance story.
Cassandra Burton the Dowager Countess of Rosslyn is exhuming corpse's from the cemetery to study She is whats to study medicine but has been refused by Oxford, Cambridge and other medical schools becasue of course she is female. This was unheard of in the 1800's.
Rafael Villar is the Spanish Vampire Lord of London. He runs across Cassandra at the cemetery trying to exhume a body. He arrest her becasue this is resting site of Vampires and someone has been dissecting them.
Rafael lets Cassandra do medical experiment on him with much success. There is a lot of sexual tension between them, which involves into love. Rafael has a plotter in his midst to take him down and take over his positions as Lord Vampire of London. This conflict brings about good twist and turns and adds suspense to the story.
The story has lots of well written characters. Good plots and good amount of sensual tension It also, gives the reader enough back story to make it a good stand alone. But I suggest you read the other 2 books in the series for enjoyable reading experience. I highly Recommend Love at First Sight.
Bite at First Sight, was a very interesting and enjoyable Paranormal Regency Romance story.
Cassandra Burton the Dowager Countess of Rosslyn is exhuming corpse's from the cemetery to study She is whats to study medicine but has been refused by Oxford, Cambridge and other medical schools becasue of course she is female. This was unheard of in the 1800's.
Rafael Villar is the Spanish Vampire Lord of London. He runs across Cassandra at the cemetery trying to exhume a body. He arrest her becasue this is resting site of Vampires and someone has been dissecting them.
Rafael lets Cassandra do medical experiment on him with much success. There is a lot of sexual tension between them, which involves into love. Rafael has a plotter in his midst to take him down and take over his positions as Lord Vampire of London. This conflict brings about good twist and turns and adds suspense to the story.
The story has lots of well written characters. Good plots and good amount of sensual tension It also, gives the reader enough back story to make it a good stand alone. But I suggest you read the other 2 books in the series for enjoyable reading experience. I highly Recommend Love at First Sight.
January 21, 2015
A quirky female character……. she is a bit interesting.
A different spin on vampirism.
Attraction and romance.
Rebellion and betrayal….. a plot that instantly sucks you in.
An enjoyable historical/paranormal romance.
I didn’t need to read previous books in this series to understand what was happening. Although I enjoyed it, so I will be going back and reading them.
*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher thru NetGalley for an honest review.
A different spin on vampirism.
Attraction and romance.
Rebellion and betrayal….. a plot that instantly sucks you in.
An enjoyable historical/paranormal romance.
I didn’t need to read previous books in this series to understand what was happening. Although I enjoyed it, so I will be going back and reading them.
*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher thru NetGalley for an honest review.
April 28, 2015
Originally published at Reading Reality
As I finished up Bite at First Sight with a smile on my face, I found myself making a mental connection between the phrase, “love at first sight”, the title of the very tongue-in-cheek vampire romance movie, Love at First Bite, and finishing with the title of this third book in Brooklyn Ann’s Scandals with Bite series, Bite at First Sight.
The phrases and titles blend together in a kind of word game where you change or remove one word and get from A to B to C. And it all fits!
The amount of slightly campy humor that was injected into Love at First Bite fits right in with the Scandals with Bite series, even though this latest entry is a bit darker than the earlier pieces of fanged, fluffy fun in the series.
This one needed to be just a bit darker, so it works. I’ve also just realized that the story is a play on the “Beauty and the Beast” trope, and the darker tone works well for that, too.
This series uses the tried-and-true convention of matching an unconventional heroine with an even more unconventional hero, or possibly vice versa.
Cassandra Burton’s unconventionality is tied up into what she does, while for Rafe Villar is it part of what he is. The author definitely makes it work.
Cassandra was ahead of her time. She doesn’t merely want to become a physician, she is actively preparing herself for that role, in spite of a society that laughs at a woman who wants to go to medical school. (It’s the early 19th century, society laughs (and actively forbids) women from stepping out side a set of preconceived and limiting roles).
Like most of the would-be doctors in that era, her only way of studying human anatomy from the inside is to dissect corpses. Therefore, like many doctors of her era, Cassandra is forced into becoming an occasional graverobber.
And that’s where Rafe comes into the story. After the events in Bite Me, Your Grace and One Bite Per Night Rafe is now the interim Lord Vampire of London. There have been recent scuffles between vampires and hunters in London, and there are all to many vampires who believe that someone is disinterring recent graves in order to find more of their kind.
Rafe finds Cassandra in the midst of her body-snatching quest, only to discover two things – she’s not after his (or any) vampires and she’s one of the few people he can’t mesmerize. She’s immune to his power. But by the time he figures that out, it’s too late – he’s revealed that vampires exist, and that puts her under vampire house arrest until the mysterious Elders tell him what to do with her.
This is a kind of torture for both of them. Cassandra and Rafe have met before – Cassandra was one of Angelica Ashton’s friends long before Angelica became the Duchess of Burnrath (and a vampire herself). Rafe was Ian Ashton’s second-in-command during that rather messy courtship.
Cassandra has always been fascinated with Rafe, not because he’s quintessentially tall, dark and handsome, but because he isn’t. Rafe was horribly burned, and the doctor in Cassandra wants to repair the damage. He’s also quite striking, although handsome wouldn’t be the right word. Cassandra, a widow, has some other ideas of what Rafe could do to, or with, her that she tries not to reveal.
She just plain fascinates him, but he assumes that she couldn’t possibly be interested in someone as scarred and disfigured as he is.
Of course, they are both wrong, but it takes a long house arrest and a lot of shared danger for them to finally figure that out. When they do, it’s almost too late. Rafe’s enemies are using his tolerance for the all-too-human Cassandra as an excuse to stage a coup. And if the conspiracies don’t bring Rafe down, the Elders he has disobeyed just might.
Escape Rating A-: This series just keeps getting better. So much so that I really hope the author continues to explore this world where vampires meet the Regency. It’s a lot of fun.
I said that this book was darker than the first two, which definitely had a higher froth quotient. It’s darker because both protagonists have more pain and darkness is their own histories, and because the conspiracies and potential coup provide an underlying layer of dark deeds and betrayal that color the narrative.
Rafe is terribly scarred. He fought off a vampire hunter who attacked him during his daysleep, and was so intent on killing the crazed bastard that he followed the man outside into the sun to finish him off. The price was a scarred face and more importantly, a withered and dysfunctional left arm. People, including other vampires, see Rafe as crippled. Rafe seems to think that the scars only reflect his internal darkness. He sees pity or revulsion in people’s eyes, and he turns away, first and with rudeness, so that he doesn’t have to face them.
Cassandra wants to be a doctor, but in the society in which she lives, even her intellectual pursuits are frowned upon. She is used to hiding who she really is and what she really wants, or only associating with people who sympathize and understand. That she is a widow loosens some of the social strictures, but not enough. She is under scrutiny at every moment. In Rafe, she sees a personal and professional challenge. She wants to see if his arm can be repaired. She longs to discover if the hot dreams she has about him mean that he might possibly show her some of what she missed in her loveless marriage.
While they separately spend a lot of mental energy trying to stave off their mutual attraction, the reasons why they do so make sense. He neither believes in love, nor that anyone could possibly love his scarred self. Cassandra’s experience of what married life is like for a woman make her shy of shackling herself to anyone. Also she knows what Rafe is and can see that they have no future.
The political in-fighting in Rafe’s new dominion keeps the suspense level high. Cassandra does distract him, and he is new to the job. Also, he’s just plain new at the idea of managing anyone other than himself, and makes a whole lot of “new leader” mistakes. The underlying sense of privilege and prejudice that empower the leaders of the so-called revolution are properly disgusting. Their use of propaganda and whisper campaigning seems all too modern. They are good enough at being bad to be a serious threat to Rafe’s and Cassandra’s lives.
Cassandra finds a sphere in which she can finally be who she really is, providing she lives long enough to enjoy it. But Rafe is the one who really grows and changes during the story. He has to reach beyond his self-imposed isolation to discover that he has friends who will stand by him at any cost, and that he is capable of both inspiring loyalty and feeling it in return.
If the combination of paranormal and historical romance sounds like fun, this book proves that it really, really can be. Even better, this story can stand on its own, although once you’ve read it you’ll want to go diving into the previous books for the background.
As I finished up Bite at First Sight with a smile on my face, I found myself making a mental connection between the phrase, “love at first sight”, the title of the very tongue-in-cheek vampire romance movie, Love at First Bite, and finishing with the title of this third book in Brooklyn Ann’s Scandals with Bite series, Bite at First Sight.
The phrases and titles blend together in a kind of word game where you change or remove one word and get from A to B to C. And it all fits!
The amount of slightly campy humor that was injected into Love at First Bite fits right in with the Scandals with Bite series, even though this latest entry is a bit darker than the earlier pieces of fanged, fluffy fun in the series.
This one needed to be just a bit darker, so it works. I’ve also just realized that the story is a play on the “Beauty and the Beast” trope, and the darker tone works well for that, too.
This series uses the tried-and-true convention of matching an unconventional heroine with an even more unconventional hero, or possibly vice versa.
Cassandra Burton’s unconventionality is tied up into what she does, while for Rafe Villar is it part of what he is. The author definitely makes it work.
Cassandra was ahead of her time. She doesn’t merely want to become a physician, she is actively preparing herself for that role, in spite of a society that laughs at a woman who wants to go to medical school. (It’s the early 19th century, society laughs (and actively forbids) women from stepping out side a set of preconceived and limiting roles).
Like most of the would-be doctors in that era, her only way of studying human anatomy from the inside is to dissect corpses. Therefore, like many doctors of her era, Cassandra is forced into becoming an occasional graverobber.
And that’s where Rafe comes into the story. After the events in Bite Me, Your Grace and One Bite Per Night Rafe is now the interim Lord Vampire of London. There have been recent scuffles between vampires and hunters in London, and there are all to many vampires who believe that someone is disinterring recent graves in order to find more of their kind.
Rafe finds Cassandra in the midst of her body-snatching quest, only to discover two things – she’s not after his (or any) vampires and she’s one of the few people he can’t mesmerize. She’s immune to his power. But by the time he figures that out, it’s too late – he’s revealed that vampires exist, and that puts her under vampire house arrest until the mysterious Elders tell him what to do with her.
This is a kind of torture for both of them. Cassandra and Rafe have met before – Cassandra was one of Angelica Ashton’s friends long before Angelica became the Duchess of Burnrath (and a vampire herself). Rafe was Ian Ashton’s second-in-command during that rather messy courtship.
Cassandra has always been fascinated with Rafe, not because he’s quintessentially tall, dark and handsome, but because he isn’t. Rafe was horribly burned, and the doctor in Cassandra wants to repair the damage. He’s also quite striking, although handsome wouldn’t be the right word. Cassandra, a widow, has some other ideas of what Rafe could do to, or with, her that she tries not to reveal.
She just plain fascinates him, but he assumes that she couldn’t possibly be interested in someone as scarred and disfigured as he is.
Of course, they are both wrong, but it takes a long house arrest and a lot of shared danger for them to finally figure that out. When they do, it’s almost too late. Rafe’s enemies are using his tolerance for the all-too-human Cassandra as an excuse to stage a coup. And if the conspiracies don’t bring Rafe down, the Elders he has disobeyed just might.
Escape Rating A-: This series just keeps getting better. So much so that I really hope the author continues to explore this world where vampires meet the Regency. It’s a lot of fun.
I said that this book was darker than the first two, which definitely had a higher froth quotient. It’s darker because both protagonists have more pain and darkness is their own histories, and because the conspiracies and potential coup provide an underlying layer of dark deeds and betrayal that color the narrative.
Rafe is terribly scarred. He fought off a vampire hunter who attacked him during his daysleep, and was so intent on killing the crazed bastard that he followed the man outside into the sun to finish him off. The price was a scarred face and more importantly, a withered and dysfunctional left arm. People, including other vampires, see Rafe as crippled. Rafe seems to think that the scars only reflect his internal darkness. He sees pity or revulsion in people’s eyes, and he turns away, first and with rudeness, so that he doesn’t have to face them.
Cassandra wants to be a doctor, but in the society in which she lives, even her intellectual pursuits are frowned upon. She is used to hiding who she really is and what she really wants, or only associating with people who sympathize and understand. That she is a widow loosens some of the social strictures, but not enough. She is under scrutiny at every moment. In Rafe, she sees a personal and professional challenge. She wants to see if his arm can be repaired. She longs to discover if the hot dreams she has about him mean that he might possibly show her some of what she missed in her loveless marriage.
While they separately spend a lot of mental energy trying to stave off their mutual attraction, the reasons why they do so make sense. He neither believes in love, nor that anyone could possibly love his scarred self. Cassandra’s experience of what married life is like for a woman make her shy of shackling herself to anyone. Also she knows what Rafe is and can see that they have no future.
The political in-fighting in Rafe’s new dominion keeps the suspense level high. Cassandra does distract him, and he is new to the job. Also, he’s just plain new at the idea of managing anyone other than himself, and makes a whole lot of “new leader” mistakes. The underlying sense of privilege and prejudice that empower the leaders of the so-called revolution are properly disgusting. Their use of propaganda and whisper campaigning seems all too modern. They are good enough at being bad to be a serious threat to Rafe’s and Cassandra’s lives.
Cassandra finds a sphere in which she can finally be who she really is, providing she lives long enough to enjoy it. But Rafe is the one who really grows and changes during the story. He has to reach beyond his self-imposed isolation to discover that he has friends who will stand by him at any cost, and that he is capable of both inspiring loyalty and feeling it in return.
If the combination of paranormal and historical romance sounds like fun, this book proves that it really, really can be. Even better, this story can stand on its own, although once you’ve read it you’ll want to go diving into the previous books for the background.
April 10, 2016
Summary
Cassandra studies medicine, and will do anything to learn as much as she can. To further her studies, she needs a cadaver to study on. She knows she can never go to the medical aid for one, since she is a woman. So she goes searching in a cemetery for one, and she comes across the Lord vampire of London, Rafe Villar. Rafe thinking she is a vampire hunter takes her into his custody, Rafe when learning of Cassandra’s true intentions has two choices he can turn her or kill her. But a few months ago he had used his power to change someone else for a friend. Now he can’t change her on his own and the deadline is drawing close. As Cassandra and Rafe draw closer together, there is another danger than just the deadline, Rafe’s second in command, is diving their people up and causing a rebellion so he can take over and destroy Rafe. Will Rafe and Cassandra survive the betrayal and find a future together…
The Hero
Rafael Villar, is the Lord of London, and rules with a strict but fair thumb. He is driven and in command of the those he rules over. In trying in aid a friend in need, he ended up burned to the point that his face is scarred and his arm has little movement. Then he meets Cassandra who has studied medicine, and although he doesn’t wish to be studied on, Rafael is the perfect hero for this story. He comes across as gruff and stern, but he has a heart of gold, and has a spirit of kindness that you don’t expect from him. He is loyal and strong, and has that sensual aura to him that makes him compelling and intense.
The Heroine
Cassandra, is driven by intellect. She is the countess of Roslynn, is a widow and is perfectly fine with her state. She is more than content to be secluded from society and work on her studies of the human body. Her dream is to be a doctor and help others heal…but she knows the professional world will never see her that way….because she is a woman. But Cassandra will keep studying and learning no matter what. Cassandra was such a great heroine, compassionate, smart, sexy, and determined as ever to accomplish her dreams. I love how she stands up to Rafe and strives to heal him. I love how devoted she is to her work. She was quite refreshing and like a breath of fresh air.
Plot and Story Line
Bite At First Sight is the third book in this stunning paranormal series by Brooklyn Ann. You know you don’t see too many vampire romances that are written so well as this one. I have read the first book, but when I had read so many high rated reviews on this one, I knew i had to read it. And what a well written story it turned out to be. I couldn’t put this one down, and stayed up late reading it. From the first page I was drawn in completely and in a way that hasn’t happened for me in a little while. I love the setting,its set in the 1800’s London. In this story we see how the author has done some research, particularly on the medical field in that time period and certain methods used and studies done, as well as the view on women working in the medical field.There is quite an intense tone to the story with the paranormal aspect of vampires put in the mix here. I do adore a good vampire romance, and this one tops my list. The characters in the story were well drawn and portrayed and you see the level of emotion they display and what they provoke in the reader. The flow of the plot is pretty smooth with no hiccups that I could sense. I enjoyed seeing the level of danger and intrigue rise with each chapter. We also have the main plot, but we also see a side plot of the villain which adds more tension to the story. You might want to hold onto your seats boys and girls, because this is one wild ride of passion, adventure and danger you don’t want to miss out on.
The Cover
This is such a gorgeous and sensual cover. I love their pose, and her dress is just beautiful, with the bold colors, and dark background, and oh my what abs our male here has….swoonworthy for sure!
Overall View
Bite At First Sight is a story that wraps you up in intrigue, danger, sexy passion, and enchanting characters, a tale of healing and the power in finding and fighting for love when it counts the most!! AN ABSOLUTE ROMANTIC GEM!!
Cassandra studies medicine, and will do anything to learn as much as she can. To further her studies, she needs a cadaver to study on. She knows she can never go to the medical aid for one, since she is a woman. So she goes searching in a cemetery for one, and she comes across the Lord vampire of London, Rafe Villar. Rafe thinking she is a vampire hunter takes her into his custody, Rafe when learning of Cassandra’s true intentions has two choices he can turn her or kill her. But a few months ago he had used his power to change someone else for a friend. Now he can’t change her on his own and the deadline is drawing close. As Cassandra and Rafe draw closer together, there is another danger than just the deadline, Rafe’s second in command, is diving their people up and causing a rebellion so he can take over and destroy Rafe. Will Rafe and Cassandra survive the betrayal and find a future together…
The Hero
Rafael Villar, is the Lord of London, and rules with a strict but fair thumb. He is driven and in command of the those he rules over. In trying in aid a friend in need, he ended up burned to the point that his face is scarred and his arm has little movement. Then he meets Cassandra who has studied medicine, and although he doesn’t wish to be studied on, Rafael is the perfect hero for this story. He comes across as gruff and stern, but he has a heart of gold, and has a spirit of kindness that you don’t expect from him. He is loyal and strong, and has that sensual aura to him that makes him compelling and intense.
The Heroine
Cassandra, is driven by intellect. She is the countess of Roslynn, is a widow and is perfectly fine with her state. She is more than content to be secluded from society and work on her studies of the human body. Her dream is to be a doctor and help others heal…but she knows the professional world will never see her that way….because she is a woman. But Cassandra will keep studying and learning no matter what. Cassandra was such a great heroine, compassionate, smart, sexy, and determined as ever to accomplish her dreams. I love how she stands up to Rafe and strives to heal him. I love how devoted she is to her work. She was quite refreshing and like a breath of fresh air.
Plot and Story Line
Bite At First Sight is the third book in this stunning paranormal series by Brooklyn Ann. You know you don’t see too many vampire romances that are written so well as this one. I have read the first book, but when I had read so many high rated reviews on this one, I knew i had to read it. And what a well written story it turned out to be. I couldn’t put this one down, and stayed up late reading it. From the first page I was drawn in completely and in a way that hasn’t happened for me in a little while. I love the setting,its set in the 1800’s London. In this story we see how the author has done some research, particularly on the medical field in that time period and certain methods used and studies done, as well as the view on women working in the medical field.There is quite an intense tone to the story with the paranormal aspect of vampires put in the mix here. I do adore a good vampire romance, and this one tops my list. The characters in the story were well drawn and portrayed and you see the level of emotion they display and what they provoke in the reader. The flow of the plot is pretty smooth with no hiccups that I could sense. I enjoyed seeing the level of danger and intrigue rise with each chapter. We also have the main plot, but we also see a side plot of the villain which adds more tension to the story. You might want to hold onto your seats boys and girls, because this is one wild ride of passion, adventure and danger you don’t want to miss out on.
The Cover
This is such a gorgeous and sensual cover. I love their pose, and her dress is just beautiful, with the bold colors, and dark background, and oh my what abs our male here has….swoonworthy for sure!
Overall View
Bite At First Sight is a story that wraps you up in intrigue, danger, sexy passion, and enchanting characters, a tale of healing and the power in finding and fighting for love when it counts the most!! AN ABSOLUTE ROMANTIC GEM!!
April 23, 2015
Bite at First Sight is a delightful historical romance with a paranormal flavor. That flavor is vampire. In case the title is not a giveaway. Simply put, the chief vampire of London meets a stubborn woman doctor. Only it is not that simple. Rafael Villar is new at being in charge of the London territory and has some minion unrest to complicate his life. And Countess Cassandra Burton's interest in medicine is ignored by the men of London's medical community and so she must go to great lengths to pursue her passion.
Cassandra wants nothing more than to become a doctor, but is barred from medical school because of her sex. So she has taught herself biology and medicine. In an effort to further her self-study, Cassandra treks to the graveyard to get herself a body to take back to her lab for dissection. The graveyard is where she meets the disfigured Rafael, who thinks Cassandra is a vampire hunter. Once he determines her true mission, it is too late. She has learned that vampires are real. Now she must either be killed or turned.
In Bite a First Sight, the characters are quirky, strong, and strangely human. Often humorous, the dialog is witty. Again and again, I found myself grinning while reading. The bad guys are really evil and the good guys have a lot of heart. Every now and then a black-and-white plot like this is just what I need to read.
There are lots of lovely vampire complications in the plot. There are plotting vampires, rogue vampires, vampires from other territories, vampires from a previous book in the series, vampire allies, hungry vampires, and, of course, vampire lovers.
Bite at First Sight has enough dilemmas to tax the attraction-at-first sight relationship of Rafael and Cassandra for most of the 352 pages. Despite the fact that there is a possible death sentence hanging over her head, the Countess turns her medical knowledge toward helping Rafael with his injured arm. I enjoyed reading about the stubborn, ever scholarly Cassandra and her deliberate and unconscious efforts to charm herself into London's vampire society. And into Rafael's heart.
I actually gave up on the vampire genre a couple of years ago, but Brooklyn Ann has me reading about those blood suckers once again! She has come up with something that piques my interests. Her vampire society has very strict rules that seem almost inconsistent with mind controlling predators. But I like that the vampires are far-sighted enough to police their own in an effort to live comfortably and peacefully among London's humans. Plus, I do so enjoy historical romances, so the setting is perfect! And in Bite at First Sight, Ms. Ann incorporates medical history into the story which adds depth and interest. The character Thomas Wakely is based on the real life man who founded the medical journal The Lancet and became a radical who called for medical reform.
Bite at First Sight was a very enjoyable read! It is book 3 in the Scandal With Bite series by Ann Brooklyn. Although it incorporates characters from previous books, it is easily read as standalone.
You know how sometimes, when you are looking for your next read, you can't decide which genre to go to? That problem is solved if both historical and paranormal are in you reading preferences. Bite at First Sight is the perfect combination!
Publisher ARC provide by NetGalley.
Cassandra wants nothing more than to become a doctor, but is barred from medical school because of her sex. So she has taught herself biology and medicine. In an effort to further her self-study, Cassandra treks to the graveyard to get herself a body to take back to her lab for dissection. The graveyard is where she meets the disfigured Rafael, who thinks Cassandra is a vampire hunter. Once he determines her true mission, it is too late. She has learned that vampires are real. Now she must either be killed or turned.
In Bite a First Sight, the characters are quirky, strong, and strangely human. Often humorous, the dialog is witty. Again and again, I found myself grinning while reading. The bad guys are really evil and the good guys have a lot of heart. Every now and then a black-and-white plot like this is just what I need to read.
There are lots of lovely vampire complications in the plot. There are plotting vampires, rogue vampires, vampires from other territories, vampires from a previous book in the series, vampire allies, hungry vampires, and, of course, vampire lovers.
Bite at First Sight has enough dilemmas to tax the attraction-at-first sight relationship of Rafael and Cassandra for most of the 352 pages. Despite the fact that there is a possible death sentence hanging over her head, the Countess turns her medical knowledge toward helping Rafael with his injured arm. I enjoyed reading about the stubborn, ever scholarly Cassandra and her deliberate and unconscious efforts to charm herself into London's vampire society. And into Rafael's heart.
I actually gave up on the vampire genre a couple of years ago, but Brooklyn Ann has me reading about those blood suckers once again! She has come up with something that piques my interests. Her vampire society has very strict rules that seem almost inconsistent with mind controlling predators. But I like that the vampires are far-sighted enough to police their own in an effort to live comfortably and peacefully among London's humans. Plus, I do so enjoy historical romances, so the setting is perfect! And in Bite at First Sight, Ms. Ann incorporates medical history into the story which adds depth and interest. The character Thomas Wakely is based on the real life man who founded the medical journal The Lancet and became a radical who called for medical reform.
Bite at First Sight was a very enjoyable read! It is book 3 in the Scandal With Bite series by Ann Brooklyn. Although it incorporates characters from previous books, it is easily read as standalone.
You know how sometimes, when you are looking for your next read, you can't decide which genre to go to? That problem is solved if both historical and paranormal are in you reading preferences. Bite at First Sight is the perfect combination!
Publisher ARC provide by NetGalley.
June 5, 2016
I finally finished all three books in the Scandals with Bite series! These books are perfect for anyone who likes historical romances with a twist. These stories aren’t your regular historical romances, oh no. There are vampires in it, which makes them a total page a turner.
I have to say Bite at First Sight wasn’t my favorite. But don’t take me wrong, it was still a very good read. I just thought I’d love it as much as I loved book two.
In Bite at First Sight, Rafe Villar falls head over heels Lady Rosslyn, who cares nothing more but to be accepted to a medical school so she can become a physician. The problem is: people laugh at her ambition since that kind of career is considered for men only. So one night Rafe catches her at the cemetery ready to exhume a man who’s been dead for two days. It turns out vampires are scared because they think there’s a vampire killer after them, except Lady Rosslyn is no vampire killer at all.
Rafe tries to erase her memory but his luck would have it that she’s immune to his powers so he takes her prisoner and writes to the Elders letting them know of his predicament. He’s given two options: Change her or kill her. He doesn’t want to do either at first, but later changes his mind only he can’t Change her because he already Changed someone else.
While all that is happening, there’s another vampire who wants to kick Rafe out of being Lord of London and starts turning vampires against Rafe until he’s got enough to start his revolt. There are killings, rogues, kidnappings surrounding him, as well as an eminent war, which makes it all an entertaining read.
I guess the reason I wasn’t crazy about this one as much as I was about book two is because this one reminded me too much of the Twilight Saga with things such as: writing to the Elders and the battle at the end of book three, the only difference was there were no werewolves.
Overall, I still recommend this series. Brooklyn Ann has a way with words and keeps you turning the page until you reach the end of the story.
I have to say Bite at First Sight wasn’t my favorite. But don’t take me wrong, it was still a very good read. I just thought I’d love it as much as I loved book two.
In Bite at First Sight, Rafe Villar falls head over heels Lady Rosslyn, who cares nothing more but to be accepted to a medical school so she can become a physician. The problem is: people laugh at her ambition since that kind of career is considered for men only. So one night Rafe catches her at the cemetery ready to exhume a man who’s been dead for two days. It turns out vampires are scared because they think there’s a vampire killer after them, except Lady Rosslyn is no vampire killer at all.
Rafe tries to erase her memory but his luck would have it that she’s immune to his powers so he takes her prisoner and writes to the Elders letting them know of his predicament. He’s given two options: Change her or kill her. He doesn’t want to do either at first, but later changes his mind only he can’t Change her because he already Changed someone else.
While all that is happening, there’s another vampire who wants to kick Rafe out of being Lord of London and starts turning vampires against Rafe until he’s got enough to start his revolt. There are killings, rogues, kidnappings surrounding him, as well as an eminent war, which makes it all an entertaining read.
I guess the reason I wasn’t crazy about this one as much as I was about book two is because this one reminded me too much of the Twilight Saga with things such as: writing to the Elders and the battle at the end of book three, the only difference was there were no werewolves.
Overall, I still recommend this series. Brooklyn Ann has a way with words and keeps you turning the page until you reach the end of the story.
March 14, 2017
3.5-4 stars!
Bite at First Sight was like Beauty and the Beast meets Frankenstein but with vampires. Except that the beast was more puppy than brute and the beauty was a quirky physician. I know, weirdest sounding premise ever. Or maybe not since this book was freaking awesome!
While following a rumor of possible hunters in the area, Rafael Villar, the new Vampire Lord of London, unwittingly discovers Cassandra Burton, Dowager Countess of Rosslyn's dirty little secret: she's been pilfering corpses from the local cemetery for research in her pursuit of becoming a doctor. As a result, Rafe now holds the inquisitive lady's very life in his hands and Cassandra may hold the key to not only healing the surly vampire's scars, but also in capturing his heart.
I loved both Rafe and Cassandra. Their chemistry was off the charts. I felt their connection even in their handful of interactions in One Bite Per Night (way more so than even the main couple in that book). Cassandra is the best kind of heroine. She doesn't give two figs about society's sexist rules and her determination to follow her heart's desires was inspiring. Rafe by contrast was not all he seemed to be. Cassandra was able to bring out gruff and tough Rafe's softer side, which of course made him all the more lovable. I enjoyed them getting to know each other bit by bit (bite by bite?), kiss by kiss.
There were times where I felt the pacing dragged a little and . But other than that, another good solid read from Brooklyn Ann. I also hope there will be more books in this series to come since the epilogue was open-ended and there were a few new characters introduced, such as Lenore, Rochester and Blackpool, that I'd love to see explored further.
Bite at First Sight was like Beauty and the Beast meets Frankenstein but with vampires. Except that the beast was more puppy than brute and the beauty was a quirky physician. I know, weirdest sounding premise ever. Or maybe not since this book was freaking awesome!
While following a rumor of possible hunters in the area, Rafael Villar, the new Vampire Lord of London, unwittingly discovers Cassandra Burton, Dowager Countess of Rosslyn's dirty little secret: she's been pilfering corpses from the local cemetery for research in her pursuit of becoming a doctor. As a result, Rafe now holds the inquisitive lady's very life in his hands and Cassandra may hold the key to not only healing the surly vampire's scars, but also in capturing his heart.
I loved both Rafe and Cassandra. Their chemistry was off the charts. I felt their connection even in their handful of interactions in One Bite Per Night (way more so than even the main couple in that book). Cassandra is the best kind of heroine. She doesn't give two figs about society's sexist rules and her determination to follow her heart's desires was inspiring. Rafe by contrast was not all he seemed to be. Cassandra was able to bring out gruff and tough Rafe's softer side, which of course made him all the more lovable. I enjoyed them getting to know each other bit by bit (bite by bite?), kiss by kiss.
There were times where I felt the pacing dragged a little and . But other than that, another good solid read from Brooklyn Ann. I also hope there will be more books in this series to come since the epilogue was open-ended and there were a few new characters introduced, such as Lenore, Rochester and Blackpool, that I'd love to see explored further.
April 16, 2015
I'm not normally a big reader of historical romances, but I couldn't resist reading this one. I have a soft spot for vampire romances, and I was drawn in by the title and the summary for it. Overall, I'm glad I read it.
I have to say, Brooklyn Ann drew me into the setting. The reason why I don't normally read historical or regency fiction is because I have a hard time with the world building (or lack thereof) that puts me off from the rest of the book. With Bite at First Sight, that definitely wasn't the case. I was swept into the story and the setting in which it took place, which I really enjoyed.
And then there's the characters and the plot itself. Cassandra, the lead female, was relatable. She was smart and determined. She's a strong character without being abrasive or too much, which was a nice change for me. Then, there's Rafe, the monstrous leading vampire male. He's protective, loyal, kind, and misunderstood- exactly how I like my heroes. I liked watching their romance develop and grow, and as it did different sides of the characters came to light, making them well-rounded and deep. The character development for me was on point.
The plot was engaging and well paced, I wasn't ever bored or contrarily ever confused by the speed of events. I think it's a great read for those who are fans of romance, paranormal or historical, and fans of vampires.
I received a copy in exchange for my honest review through the publisher and the Goodreads Firstreads program. This review can also be found on my blog, Bitches n Prose.
I have to say, Brooklyn Ann drew me into the setting. The reason why I don't normally read historical or regency fiction is because I have a hard time with the world building (or lack thereof) that puts me off from the rest of the book. With Bite at First Sight, that definitely wasn't the case. I was swept into the story and the setting in which it took place, which I really enjoyed.
And then there's the characters and the plot itself. Cassandra, the lead female, was relatable. She was smart and determined. She's a strong character without being abrasive or too much, which was a nice change for me. Then, there's Rafe, the monstrous leading vampire male. He's protective, loyal, kind, and misunderstood- exactly how I like my heroes. I liked watching their romance develop and grow, and as it did different sides of the characters came to light, making them well-rounded and deep. The character development for me was on point.
The plot was engaging and well paced, I wasn't ever bored or contrarily ever confused by the speed of events. I think it's a great read for those who are fans of romance, paranormal or historical, and fans of vampires.
I received a copy in exchange for my honest review through the publisher and the Goodreads Firstreads program. This review can also be found on my blog, Bitches n Prose.
December 7, 2023
An unflappable scientific woman meets a gentlemanly, occasionally grumpy vampire in this paranormal romance. I liked that the heroine was strong. I think many romance readers will like the book!
I won a free copy of this book in the Goodreads giveaway.
I won a free copy of this book in the Goodreads giveaway.
December 5, 2021
Paranormal meets regency romance in Bite At First Sight by Brooklyn Ann. This book was just okay. Not terrible but packed with plot holes and lackluster sex scenes. I found myself skipping through pages at a time because I was so bored. It was the third book in a loosely connected series. I do not plan to read the others.
The pacing is off. The first few chapters seeming quite rushed. It needed a couple more chapters before the actual first chapter to set the stage. It could've opened with a society life scene and laid some foundation for the relationship. It might have helped in terms of character development, as well. Instead, the author scrambles to clarify things through clumsy summaries in the midst of the action.
The steam level was yes, yes, yes, aw... And then you're just pissed off for the rest of the day. But it was nice to see a consistently mutually respectful, consensual pairing.
The pacing is off. The first few chapters seeming quite rushed. It needed a couple more chapters before the actual first chapter to set the stage. It could've opened with a society life scene and laid some foundation for the relationship. It might have helped in terms of character development, as well. Instead, the author scrambles to clarify things through clumsy summaries in the midst of the action.
The steam level was yes, yes, yes, aw... And then you're just pissed off for the rest of the day. But it was nice to see a consistently mutually respectful, consensual pairing.
June 1, 2021
Yeah i deducted a half star because my favorite character dies. I won't say who, its a spoiler, but its the char at the end who dies.
That said enjoyable paranormal romp!
---
There was something slightly unsettling about this book and the way that Cassandra nonchalantly discussed rooting around in a cadaver's body to see what made what muscle link where properly. Fascinating, but much like certain other characters I found it to be very off putting when I'm contemplating eating steak. And Cassandra loves to go on at length about such things (is it a good thing if you can put a vampire off his meal? I'm not sure).
However the sparkling banter between Rafe and Cassandra makes up for the unsettling moments of honest discourse about peeling back a man's skin. Some of you may remember my complaints about Angelica in the first book (Bite Me Your Grace), and how annoying she was as a main character. I can't speak to the second couple (Lydia and Vincent from One Bite Per a Night), since I haven't read that book yet unfortunately (they are lots of fun here though), but neither Cassandra nor Rafe were frustrating personalities.
It was refreshing to read about a romance heroine who could argue sensibly while also understanding the larger picture. Was it wrong of Rafe to jump to conclusions and basically turn her life upside down because he didn't think to ask before assuming she was a vampire hunter? For sure. But he was being very accommodating and aside from ludicrous threats against her life that no one believed BUT her, was the picture of helpfulness. Look when even the villains of the plot say to each other "He won't kill her" (and in fact use that as a reason to revolt against Rafe) you should probably assume he isn't going to kill you.
Truthfully her agitation over whether he would or wouldn't kill her came quite late in the game (after the initial fear she all but forgets about it) and felt more like a contrived reason for her to fall into the dastardly (but highly inept) clutches of the bad guy.
To settle on the bad guy, Clayton, for a moment - he was so over the top shady that I'm certain the only reason he wasn't figured out sooner was all the "Lords of London" (in three years they've had three different lords!) keep getting hitched and finding their wives. I was a bit squicked by a lot of how he allowed his goons to treat their prisoner. Mild Warning for discussion of rape - there's nothing explicit, but the prisoner mentions it, the goons mention it and while later on everyone is very clearly NOT OKAY with it (to some violent degrees) I wish it had felt less like a set-up for two characters to be drawn together.
Lenore, a supplicant of Rafe's who Clayton kidnaps and allows to be raped multiple times by his "rogue vampire" henchmen, later uses their sexual assault as a means to escape. Jolly resourceful, if not particularly pleasant, for her! She then escapes to a neighboring vampire's domain--a well known vampire who dislikes others tramping about in his area uninvited and is no close friend of Rafe's--and more or less falls into his arms. He helps her and then later, after extracting a debt from Rafe for helping him defeat Clayton, requests Lenore. Its stated, a couple times, that Lenore is afraid of men and shies away from all of them no matter who they are (understandably so). Except for this Blackwell, the vampire who helped her.
I think if such an issue hadn't been made about the assault, and a key reason why Clayton could never be allowed such power for allowing it in the first place, I would have been more okay with how those two characters meet. But after the end, and the request made to fulfill a debt, it left a bad taste in my mouth. Not sure why.
In all this was an enjoyable, if rather uneven, historical paranormal romp. I do think some of the descriptions of Cassandra and Rafe's ahem sexy times sounded less then sexy to me (I'm sorry "animalistic brutality" does not make me all hot and bothered), and Ann did kill my darling, but I definitely enjoyed this outing.
That said enjoyable paranormal romp!
---
There was something slightly unsettling about this book and the way that Cassandra nonchalantly discussed rooting around in a cadaver's body to see what made what muscle link where properly. Fascinating, but much like certain other characters I found it to be very off putting when I'm contemplating eating steak. And Cassandra loves to go on at length about such things (is it a good thing if you can put a vampire off his meal? I'm not sure).
However the sparkling banter between Rafe and Cassandra makes up for the unsettling moments of honest discourse about peeling back a man's skin. Some of you may remember my complaints about Angelica in the first book (Bite Me Your Grace), and how annoying she was as a main character. I can't speak to the second couple (Lydia and Vincent from One Bite Per a Night), since I haven't read that book yet unfortunately (they are lots of fun here though), but neither Cassandra nor Rafe were frustrating personalities.
It was refreshing to read about a romance heroine who could argue sensibly while also understanding the larger picture. Was it wrong of Rafe to jump to conclusions and basically turn her life upside down because he didn't think to ask before assuming she was a vampire hunter? For sure. But he was being very accommodating and aside from ludicrous threats against her life that no one believed BUT her, was the picture of helpfulness. Look when even the villains of the plot say to each other "He won't kill her" (and in fact use that as a reason to revolt against Rafe) you should probably assume he isn't going to kill you.
Truthfully her agitation over whether he would or wouldn't kill her came quite late in the game (after the initial fear she all but forgets about it) and felt more like a contrived reason for her to fall into the dastardly (but highly inept) clutches of the bad guy.
To settle on the bad guy, Clayton, for a moment - he was so over the top shady that I'm certain the only reason he wasn't figured out sooner was all the "Lords of London" (in three years they've had three different lords!) keep getting hitched and finding their wives. I was a bit squicked by a lot of how he allowed his goons to treat their prisoner. Mild Warning for discussion of rape - there's nothing explicit, but the prisoner mentions it, the goons mention it and while later on everyone is very clearly NOT OKAY with it (to some violent degrees) I wish it had felt less like a set-up for two characters to be drawn together.
Lenore, a supplicant of Rafe's who Clayton kidnaps and allows to be raped multiple times by his "rogue vampire" henchmen, later uses their sexual assault as a means to escape. Jolly resourceful, if not particularly pleasant, for her! She then escapes to a neighboring vampire's domain--a well known vampire who dislikes others tramping about in his area uninvited and is no close friend of Rafe's--and more or less falls into his arms. He helps her and then later, after extracting a debt from Rafe for helping him defeat Clayton, requests Lenore. Its stated, a couple times, that Lenore is afraid of men and shies away from all of them no matter who they are (understandably so). Except for this Blackwell, the vampire who helped her.
I think if such an issue hadn't been made about the assault, and a key reason why Clayton could never be allowed such power for allowing it in the first place, I would have been more okay with how those two characters meet. But after the end, and the request made to fulfill a debt, it left a bad taste in my mouth. Not sure why.
In all this was an enjoyable, if rather uneven, historical paranormal romp. I do think some of the descriptions of Cassandra and Rafe's ahem sexy times sounded less then sexy to me (I'm sorry "animalistic brutality" does not make me all hot and bothered), and Ann did kill my darling, but I definitely enjoyed this outing.
April 7, 2015
My Musings
I received Bite at First Sight from the publisher via Net-Galley. It has been a while since I have read a Vampire historical romance and the book description fascinated me. I thought what could be better, historical romance with enticing vampires, right? I thoroughly enjoyed this exciting read, and had a difficult time putting it down to take care of the mundane tasks, such as work, sleep, etc.
Cassandra Burton, Dowager Countess of Rosslyn is a grave robber. She is determined to break through the barriers and prejudice against women in the medical field. When she is discovered in St. Pancras Cemetery, ready to unearth a cadaver for her research, she is appalled to find Don Villar, a man she has long been attracted to, is of all things a vampire. How can this be? Vampires are not real.
When Don Rafael Villar captures the lovely countess, he has a choice, kill Lady Rosslyn or change her into a creature of the night. He writes the elders to inform them of his dilemma and awaits their decision. While holding the enticing countess prisoner, and fighting an overpowering attraction for her, he also has a revolt on his hands. His second in command is trying to usurp his position as Lord of London. Between protecting the feisty countess and circumventing Clayton, he has his hands full.
Cassandra is determined to continue her research with the help of the progressive-thinking surgeon, Dr. Thomas Wakley, while she awaits her fate. Her compassion for Rafe has her performing surgery to repair his damaged arm. While helping Rafe, her passion is further ignited for this powerful vampire.
Will Rafe be able to control his desire for Cassandra and protect her from the evil Clayton without giving into the attraction they feel for each other, or will Cassandra’s reckless behavior lead her into a nest of vipers separating them forever?
This is the first novel I have read by the talented Brooklyn Ann, but it will not be the last! Bite at First Sight has it all, romance that sizzles, suspense that leaps of the page, and an emotionally-charged love story. Ms. Ann pulled me in from the first sentence and kept me on the edge of my seat until the end.
I fell in love with Cassandra’s lively and spirited character. She is fearless as she faces down all the perils she finds herself in. I love it when I become totally enmeshed in a character to the point that I forget I am reading fantasy and not reality. I felt what Cassandra feels, her fear, her joy and her passion. I admired her determination to find a way to heal Rafe’s damaged arm.
Rafael Villar is a fantastic vampire. He has honor, compassion and a strong desire to defend the vampires under his protection. His determination to find a way to save Cassandra thrilled my romantic heart. He is a strong warrior, yet a bit vulnerable because of the scars on his face he received while saving a mortal from certain death.
Several of the secondary character that fought at Villar’s side touched my heart to the point I cried a few tears when one of the most courageous of these amazing vampires loses his life when he steps in front of Cassandra, saving her life.
This action-packed, yet intensely romantic love story is sure to please. The pacing is fast and the passion sizzles between Cassandra and Rafe. I am sure you will enjoy Bite at First Sight as much as I did. I can’t wait to read the other books in this exciting series. Happy reading!
I received Bite at First Sight from the publisher via Net-Galley. It has been a while since I have read a Vampire historical romance and the book description fascinated me. I thought what could be better, historical romance with enticing vampires, right? I thoroughly enjoyed this exciting read, and had a difficult time putting it down to take care of the mundane tasks, such as work, sleep, etc.
Cassandra Burton, Dowager Countess of Rosslyn is a grave robber. She is determined to break through the barriers and prejudice against women in the medical field. When she is discovered in St. Pancras Cemetery, ready to unearth a cadaver for her research, she is appalled to find Don Villar, a man she has long been attracted to, is of all things a vampire. How can this be? Vampires are not real.
When Don Rafael Villar captures the lovely countess, he has a choice, kill Lady Rosslyn or change her into a creature of the night. He writes the elders to inform them of his dilemma and awaits their decision. While holding the enticing countess prisoner, and fighting an overpowering attraction for her, he also has a revolt on his hands. His second in command is trying to usurp his position as Lord of London. Between protecting the feisty countess and circumventing Clayton, he has his hands full.
Cassandra is determined to continue her research with the help of the progressive-thinking surgeon, Dr. Thomas Wakley, while she awaits her fate. Her compassion for Rafe has her performing surgery to repair his damaged arm. While helping Rafe, her passion is further ignited for this powerful vampire.
Will Rafe be able to control his desire for Cassandra and protect her from the evil Clayton without giving into the attraction they feel for each other, or will Cassandra’s reckless behavior lead her into a nest of vipers separating them forever?
This is the first novel I have read by the talented Brooklyn Ann, but it will not be the last! Bite at First Sight has it all, romance that sizzles, suspense that leaps of the page, and an emotionally-charged love story. Ms. Ann pulled me in from the first sentence and kept me on the edge of my seat until the end.
I fell in love with Cassandra’s lively and spirited character. She is fearless as she faces down all the perils she finds herself in. I love it when I become totally enmeshed in a character to the point that I forget I am reading fantasy and not reality. I felt what Cassandra feels, her fear, her joy and her passion. I admired her determination to find a way to heal Rafe’s damaged arm.
Rafael Villar is a fantastic vampire. He has honor, compassion and a strong desire to defend the vampires under his protection. His determination to find a way to save Cassandra thrilled my romantic heart. He is a strong warrior, yet a bit vulnerable because of the scars on his face he received while saving a mortal from certain death.
Several of the secondary character that fought at Villar’s side touched my heart to the point I cried a few tears when one of the most courageous of these amazing vampires loses his life when he steps in front of Cassandra, saving her life.
This action-packed, yet intensely romantic love story is sure to please. The pacing is fast and the passion sizzles between Cassandra and Rafe. I am sure you will enjoy Bite at First Sight as much as I did. I can’t wait to read the other books in this exciting series. Happy reading!
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