Fanged & Fabulous

Immortality Bites #2

by Michelle Rowen

My name is Sarah Dearly, and I've got major problems. Last month, I was turned into a vampire by the world's worst blind date. Then I may have, totally by accident, started a war between the mostly peaceful bloodsuckers and a bunch of sociopathic vamp hunters who have nicknamed me the Slayer of Slayers. Now I'm being used as bait to draw out the hunters' bad-ass leader, while my gorgeous 600-year-old boyfriend Thierry seems to be blowing me off, and my sizzle-hot, fanged friend Quinn is trying to turn my self-defense lessons into make-out sessions. So you know what? I'm done. I've had it. There comes a time when a vamp has to just suck it up and go after what she wants. And as soon as I figure out what that is, that's exactly what I'll do...

Genres: Vampires, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Fiction

368 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 1, 2007

About the author

National bestselling author MICHELLE ROWEN writes paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and young adult fantasy, both light and dark, sexy and sweet, long and short -- it all depends on the story! She's won a Holt Medallion for Best First Book and a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice award for Vampire Romance. For more information, please visit Michelle at her website at www.michellerowen.com.

Reviews

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I see I read the debut of this series, Bitten & Smitten, two and a half years ago when I really needed a good laugh. Late last week (January 8, 2021) I put other books down and dived into this one for the same reason. And once again it worked.

One reviewer (Geli) calls it "corny" and "like Clueless but with vampires." Nailed it! Like the debut, it's a comic paranormal romance with much more action and danger than most of them, but once again much of the humor stays in the meta range as familiar plot devices of romance novels are picked up and shaken for the reader's benefit.

For example, the first-person narrator is named Sarah Dearly. She's still a newbie vampire--she was bitten by surprise to start the first book off--and of course despite that one little exception she's still the Normal Young Woman You Are Supposed to Identify With as she explores deeply into her ability to Make Unbelievably Foolish Choices. A TSTL picnic, you ask? More like Too Impetuous to Live. Yes, her life is in danger all over the place, and danger takes up a few more pages than those pillars of the genre, the Romantic Triangle and the Lover's Contrary Attitudes.

So she is hopelessly in love with Thierry Bennicoeur, the 650-year-old vampire who rescued her in the beginning of the last book (only two months previous), and only two weeks ago they got back to Toronto from a wonderful romantic vacation in Mexico, but he's been dismissive ever since, and it's because, like any good Tortured Hero, he has a deep secret (from her, but others know about it) that will Endanger Her Life. That conflict makes the backbone of this installment, so I'll back off to avoid spoilers.

Then there's Quinn, another newbie vampire, who's Sweetly in Love with Sarah. And if you've read the first book, you know the trope reversal of the whole series: the vampires are the nice guys and the vampire hunters are the mean and nasty ones. So Quinn was a vampire hunter till he was bitten, and now he's still trying to figure out where his life is going. But he definitely wants to save Sarah from Thierry at all costs! Can he persuade her to leave Thierry who advises Sarah to take up with Quinn for her own good because he (Thierry) is too dangerous for her?

Ah, the delights of the Romantic Triangle that's been stood on its pointy head. Then there's the Best Friend, Amy, also a newbie vampire, who's marrying Thierry's loyal number two, a vampire who doesn't seem to know which stock character he should personify. Well, something has to subtract a star from the rating, so why not George?

And then, to make Sarah a believable target for the evil vampire hunters, false rumors about the action of the first book are spread in this one to give her the sobriquet of the Slayer of Slayers. Early on a brash vampire hunter pulls his wooden stake back and actually runs away from her when he realizes he's taken on the infamous Slayer. So Thierry hires bodyguards and Sarah (Too Impetuous to Live, remember) willingly assumes the role of Bait, and we're in action!

Other standard romantic plot devices are hauled out for our amusement, but that happens deep into spoiler territory so I won't even hint at them; I'll just say I had even more fun toward the end of this outing than in the first half of it.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I find it rather annoying that Sarah is still in love with Thierry even after he rejects her - multiple times. She really needs to read "He's just not that into you" The electricity in their vampire kisses is forced and out of place. Not bad for a quick, fun read, but needs more substance.

[JG · Rating 5 out of 5]

10++++++++++++ FANTABULOUS stars for the ENTIRE series

It has earned:

''BEST COUPLE AWARD''



''BEST ROMANCE AWARD''



''BEST HERO AWARD''




I cannot overly state how amazing this book was. I read the entire series for two days. It was UNPUTDOWNABLE! . Once i finished the first book, i am itching for the second until before i knew it, i was up till 5 in the morning. THANK GOODNESS IT'S SUMMER or I'll be sleeping in my desk if this was a school day.

Ok, i should warn you that my opinion is been extremely affected by my personality. well, duh. I am a hopeless romantic. Totally, extremely, utterly hopeless. I love a great romance. I adore and worship a great romance.

as to not be confuse or anything:
Great romance= fidelity, trust, loyatly, chemistry, acceptance, happiness, passion, understanding, nd fierce love

all of this are present in the entire series and with a some mystery, action, drama, friendship, cool vampire creatures...How can i refuse???

Not to mention the amazing characters!!! Our heroine is perfect. She is hilarious, sarcastic, and has a HUGE heart. She makes mistake, but that makes her realistic.And PERFECT for our heroine.



And our hero is HOT HOT HOT! Mysterious, sexy, with a great nay! perfect poker face....and hopelessly in love with our heroine!



Being a 6? hundred year old vamp, he has done some terrible things and thinks he's not worth our heroine, at the start he tries to push her away but one thing our heroin has is courage and an unyielding determination. To bad for him. Great for us!!!

I love the whole series. I lvoe it to death!




Together they tried to work things out. They have some problems on the way...hence the other 4 books that followed, but the more difficult the problems were, the deeper they fell for each other.

SO yeah! Lol, TOTALLY RECOMMENDED! I hope this series NEVER ENDS!

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, and this one is no exception.

I don't agree with commenters who say that it should be marked as YA instead of Paranormal Romance. Just because something doesn't have explicit sex in it, doesn't mean it is a YA book.

It even made me laugh out loud the other night while I was reading in bed. I was glad that my grandfather is in the hospital for rehabilitation or I would have woken him up. As it is, my father heard me over in the kitchen since he was on his computer. haha.

The line that caused the epic crack up? It features her gay vampire roomie George and Barkley the werewolf.

"I glanced at George half-naked in his towel, then at Barkley, completely naked in his...nothing. A vampire and a werewolf.

I shook my head. It was obvious. I was having one of my Anita Blake dreams again."

If you haven't checked this series out, they are quick, fun reads that leave you ready to get your hands on the next one. I've already started #3.

[Geli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am really loving this series. Its just so corny that it works. Its like a clueless but with vampires. haha. Romance and drama are top notched in this one as it picks up right where it left off from the first one. The characters are all so likable i wish I could be friends with them all. This series gives a nice spin on the vampire legend. These vamps can go out in daylight, but sorry girls no sparkling vampires here. I cant wait to read the next one!

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Registered on Bookcrossing - https://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/...

Really good book with lots of suspense, humor and a bit of romance. I love the main character Sarah Dearly!

[keikii Eats Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

To read more reviews in this series and others, check out keikii eats books!

55 points/100 (3 stars/5)

Sarah Dearly has problems. Her maybe boyfriend Thierry won't touch her anymore, and he won't even tell anyone they're together! The super sexy Quinn is back and town and trying to get Sarah for his own. She doesn't have a job and she is running out of funds. Oh, and someone is trying to kill her.

I'm having some fun rereading this series. I groan on average once every 20 pages or so. Rolling eyes and talking to the book are more frequent than that. This is just a super fun series to read just because you want some silly fun.

Sure, there are the attempts on Sarah's life that happens. That is pretty exciting. And led to some really, really fun yelling at the book. That is the main purpose of the book. There is also this fun new "slayer of slayers" title Sarah has gotten, which is fueling danger coming at Sarah. Really though, all this is dressing for the romance!

And what a dramatic romance it is! Thierry still is done with that whole living thing, except when it comes to Sarah. The entire book, everyone is telling Sarah that Thierry isn't any good for her, and what does she even see in him? Honestly, lady, I'm with them. What in the world is keeping these together? He is constantly not telling her things, foisting her off on others to take care of, ignores her and then doesn't even tell others that they are together in any way. What kind of basis for a relationship is this??

Then there is the love triangle in the form of Quinn who Sarah describes as "perfect on paper for her". Quinn is proper messed up. He is fun, he has an actual personality. I kind of like him, in a "he is fun and actually makes sense" kind of way. Someone needs to be able to piece him together again! Really though, this is just some physical attraction combined with both really disliking what they are so they can bond over it. And the attraction is just perfectly designed to mess things up with Thierry.

There is also a lot to do with the side romances, too. The romances Sarah's friends have. A whole bunch of "Oh my god, he is cheating on me!" storyline, too. Really, this book is just all romance all the time with a side adventure of death. Hah that sounds funny, "side adventure of death". But it is true. The plot definitely comes second to the romance.

If this wasn't so much fun to react to, I would really be dreading the next book. As it stands, I'm looking forward to having the fun!

[Candace Mountain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michelle has created an interesting continuation of her Immortality Bites series with Fanged and Fabulous. The story deals with some of the ramifications of the first novel as Sarah is labeled the Slayer of Slayers and this opens up a mess of problems for her with the hunters and vampires. Despite all of the problems the hunters were creating for her, Sarah seemed more wrapped up in her romantic issues with Thierry than the perils that were occurring around her which makes for some interesting predicaments.

Sarah's obsession with Thierry could have distracted from the plot but Michelle has a unique way of making the romance more important to the reader than the events in the book until she is ready to have us switch focus back and then she delivers on the plot. The book was very enjoyable and the romantic layer made it fabulously cute on many levels. She expertly planted a few plot points that I have no doubt we will be seeing in later installments. I look forward to the next book and I would recommend this book if you need a good light romantic paranormal fix.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

If this review looks like a carbon copy of the first books’ review … well it is with very good reason….

First off I want to say that this book is mislabeled as "paranormal romance". Other than a few half-pages of a little kissy-face there was no romance or sex at all. This book should have been labeled as "young adult/teen".

Overlooking that little annoyance I rather enjoyed reading it. The book was well written, sharp, witty, and had plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. A very good humorous vampire book.

When the 3rd book comes out in the series “Lady & the Vamp” I will be buying it. I’ll just wait until I find it half price on a local used bookstore shelf. I am curious as to what happens to Michael Quinn, ex-vampire hunter turned guilt ridden vampire. After that however, the author is not going on my must-buy list. I'm just not into young-adult/teen paranormals – all that young-adult angst is just too annoying, and the no sex scenes are very irritating.

[Rosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious! Fanged and Fabulous has the action, the drama and the humor! After reading the first book of the series, which i enjoyed immensely, i promptly set out to find the second, and i wasn't disappointed! Michelle Rowen knows just how to engage the audience!

Fanged and Fabulous continues on from where Bitten and Smitten left off. Sarah Dearly, newly made vampire is now not as newly made but still trying to cope with the change. After being forced to kill a vampire slayer named Peter in the previous book, somehow there has been a slight misunderstanding and she has now been given the name: "Slayer of Slayers" and has aparently killed more than eight vampire slayers! And of course her sort-of boyfriend Thierry, a +600 year old Master vampire, is denying their relationship in public! What's a vampire to do?

[Robin Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michelle Rowen is my new favorite author. In this second entry in the Immortality Bites series, Sarah discovers that thanks to the incident at the club at the end of the first book, she now is known as the Slayer of Slayers, with an undeserved reputation that causes her to be feared by some of her would be enemies. Throughout the book she frets about the hunters and Thierry who has not had sex with her since their vacation in Mexico two weeks ago, and her best friend being married to Barry who she can't stand, and Quinn coming back...and it's all quite enjoyable and humorous. And I wasn't sure how things would be left off with Thierry at the end of the book. And I'm quite eager to get to the third book.

[JoAnne Kenrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!! I can't remember the last time a book kept me up way past my bed time. I couldn't bare to put it down until the last page had been turned -- I just had to know what happened to Quinn. I just had to know about Theirry and Sarah and basically, I just had to keep reading until the very last word.

Next book, Lady and the Vamp ( I think), will be in my next bulk ebook buy! Maybe even the fourth and fifth in the Immortality Bites too.

KUDOS Michelle xxxx

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fanged & Fabulous
Immortality Bites, Book 2

By: Michelle Rowen
Narrated by: Lillian Yves, Vincent Lee Grayson

Brilliantly Moving, and Hysterically Funny!

Overall: 5 of 5 stars Performance: 5 of 5 stars Story: 5 of 5 stars
Reviewed: 06-18-23

I loved book one, “Bitten and Smitten”! I could not wait for THIS one to come out in audio, and believe me, I was NOT disappointed! Immortality Bites, Book 2, “Fanged and Fabulous” is fascinating, exciting, fresh, and deliciously different! This story, THIS brilliantly moving, yet hysterically funny story, is absolutely FILLED with delightful characters and twisty surprises! This story beautifully walks the line between deep emotion, mystery, suspense, and laugh out loud humor, with the author balancing all of these elements beautifully, and most importantly, knowing just when to break the tension with mirth! I loved the delightful “edge of your seat” tension (no spoilers) that lasted just long enough to be effective, thereby enhancing the story perfectly, AND making me really squirm on the that edge with worry over the characters I’d come to care about, (no spoilers) before I was able to breathe again, when relief came with resolution! As good as this plot was, and it was delightfully FANTASTIC, my favorite part of this story, was the characters! I LOVE that not only are the characters from book one back, they’re joined by some delightfully imaginative newbie’s! No spoilers! Listen and prepare to be delighted! Speaking of listening … Fabulously emotive, clear and consistent narration kept me firmly in the moment and deeply immersed in the story at all times! The voicing choices and emotional vocal intonations leave no doubt as to is speaking, or the emotional mindset of the character, truly breathing life into the authors vision! This really was a perfect listen, and I enjoyed every single funny, engaging, emotional, second! Five smilingly perfect stars because I can’t award ten!

[Jae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fanged & Fabulous is the second installment in the "Immortality Bites" series by Michelle Rowan. The main character is Sarah Dearly, newly-turned vampire.

Sarah is still trying to come to terms with being a vampire, but she has bigger issues to contend with. After she killed a vampire hunter who was trying to murder her, Sarah seems to have been credited with the deaths of other vamp hunters, earning her the nickname and reputation as 'Slayer of Slayers'. As a result, one of the most feared vampire hunters in the world is coming for her. Sarah's kinda-sorta boyfriend, 600-year old Thierry, seems to be distancing himself from her, she now has bodyguards, someone torched her apartment, and there's still the minor detail of informing her parents that she's now a vampire. It's a good thing Sarah is both resilient and resourceful, because it's going to take everything she has to keep herself and those she loves alive.

I'd label this as more paranormal-lite than a paranormal romance. There just wasn't that much 'romantic' about it. Thierry doesn't treat Sarah very well, and everyone keeps telling her they're all wrong for one another, but she's in love. Blah. Her near-childish infatuation with Thierry was rather tedious, in my opinion, but then I'm old enough to be Sarah's mother. Thierry refuses to acknowledge Sarah as a romantic partner, he's "too busy" to spend any time with her, and he's still married! But hey, he's so haaaaandsome. Good grief. Quinn, another new vampire, was a better match for Sarah. He dotes on her, and he's handsome, too. Frankly, it was maddening how the author created such a perfect match for Sarah yet had her ignore him in favor of Methuselah. In spite of how irksome the 'romance' portion of the book was, the story was fun and humorous.

I wish I could award 3 1/2 stars. Hm...I'll be kind and round up to a four.

[Vintagebooklvr · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars. There seem to have been several series in the early 2000s of recently turned female vampires who were not super powerful, the chosen, etc. It was about their attempts to adjust to life and find love. Now this main character Sarah Dearly, kind of by accident, has developed a reputation as a Slayer of Slayers which brings all sorts of unwanted attention to her. Meanwhile her boyfriend has gotten distant so things aren't looking so great right now.

She may be underpowered and even gets knocked about a bit, she tries to learn some self-defense and other times just through her talking is able to cause chaos and gets away. She isn't completely a defanged damsel in distress, though she does moon over her boyfriend who seems to be pulling away too much before just confronting him. In the end, she does take life by the fangs and gets some control even if she can't always beat up the bad guy. I like a character who isn't helpless and always complaining, they don't have to be overpowered or destined for great things to be likeable and readable.

[Jassicca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious…

“So that means that Peter . . .” I swallowed. “That his full name was Peter Parker?”
“Yeah.”
I burst into tears. “Oh, my God! I killed Spiderman!”
“Sarah, get a grip.”

Those who didn't read the first book could easily read this book and still catch up with what had happened earlier. Usually, when the author re-telling the story from the first book, I would be annoyed, but not this one because the explanation wasn't lengthy.

The synopsis pretty much summed up what transpired in the book. There's not many plot twist and no cliffhanger as well. By the time I finished reading this book, I pretty much have an idea of what to look forward to in the next following few more books in the series.

I still wish, by some miracle, Sarah would be a badass character. Maybe in few more books? Only time would tell. I also have high hope for Quinn and Janie to be together. Finger crossed 🤞!

[Sarah Frog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah has to choose between two hot guys that want her. What a situation to be in? Then she's being chased by vampires hunters who think she's invincible, which is far from the case. She's not tough at all. Both her beaus are brooding too. Quinn is adjusting to being a Vampire. Thierry is just emo because of all the drama in his past. There is twist but you get inkling that its coming way before it happens. In Fanged & Fabulous Sarah whines a lot more than the other books in this series. So that was kind of irritating. But other than that I enjoyed the characters. Even the small ones like George and Amy and Barry.

[Lori Wilen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second in the series was another 4 star read for me. I do love the characters and the story and I really enjoy the writing. I found myself laughing out loud on numerous occasions. The main female is quite amusing and yes, adorable. If I were going to be a vampire, I think I would like to be something like her. It would seem for the most part, that each male vampire is more handsome than the last we were introduced to. This was another very cute story featuring the characters from book one and introducing us to a few new ones. I definitely think vampire rom-com lovers would enjoy this book but I would suggest reading book one first.

[Elizabeth D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this second installment in the Immortality Bites series. Sarah is adjusting to life as a new vampire but Thierry is becoming distant and there are vampire hunters looking for her because she has gained a reputation as the "Slayer of Slayers" which can't end well. The laughs are there and Sarah's all heart which makes her a very likable character. The only downside was the side plot of her friend Amy and her concerns that her new husband Barry is cheating on her. It was just too much unnecessary drama in an otherwise fun story. Overall a great light romp.

[Kim Shumaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute continuation from book 1, Bitten & Smitten. Definitely YA/PG - complete with the love triangle. Sarah is somewhat of an airhead - but still cute enough to keep my attention. It's a nice break from the more action-packed series I've read lately.

If you're looking for a something cutesy and shallow you may enjoy this series. If you're looking for something with depth I suggest you keep looking. I'm not sure of how long I will keep with this series but interested enough in Quinn & Janie to check out book 3, Lady and the Vamp.

[Barbi Huhn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an interesting book, to say the least. It reminded me of Mary Janice Davidson's "Undead" series.
Sarah is a recently turned vampire who is dating a much older, married vampire named Thierry. He pretty much does whatever he can to push her away and she keeps coming back.
To make matters even more challenging, vampire hunters are out to kill her since she is "famous". So, throw in some bodyguards, interesting friends, and her not willing to give up on her relationship, and this book was comical at times and made me want to smack my head against a wall at others.

[Sonia Krishnan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't believe I finished it in two days! It was as good as the first one, but I got to say, I am amazed how Quinn's character developed. The fact that after Sarah gave her peace of mind of how she felt about him, (yes he was pissed and all) but eventually he was matured enough to realize that she was really in love with Thierry and let her go. Kinda annoyed with Sarah tho, she reminds me Bella from Twilight idk. Other than that, I am digging her bodyguards. They were so cute! But the blond chick was pretty intense.

[Traci · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute and quirky vampire book. The main character Sarah Dearly is sassy and sarcastic new vampire who is in love with a non courageous lackluster vampire that shows her no outward affection to her at all and all she can say is, “I love him”. So if you are looking to read a romance book this isn’t it. Her friend Amy and her husband Barry show more romance than Sarah and Thierry, the two main characters. Her friends Amy and George are a little quirky themselves. Throw an obsessed ex-vampire, new vampire, Quinn who is in love with Sarah; And what could go wrong except for everything.

[Catsalive · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fairly forgettable fluff. A newly minted vampire, Sarah Dearly is an uninteresting character carrying on a lacklustre relationship with Thierry, an ancient vampire. Despite his repeated repudiation of their relationship & his almost killing her, Sarah persists in chasing after what she wants to the detriment of those around her. I do not feel any chemistry between them, but supposedly they love each other. Pah! A few amusing moments but not really worth the effort. Perhaps I should have read the first book before this one but I don't think I'll bother now.

[Ronni Nanney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah is a mess. Thierry is stand offish, Quinn won't take no for an answer which puts strain on the friendship, and now she's target number 1 due to a misrepresented rumor. Add a real killer who's after humans and vamps alike, and Sarah really needs to be on the lookout.

However, she has no sense of self presentation. As much tr I able as she gets in, I can't help but admire her. I love her sarcasm but she still has a way of seeing things in a great perspective. She's loyal and just wants everybody to get along. How could anybody not love her?

[Ifrah · Rating 3 out of 5]

unfortunately I cannot include Fanged & Fabulous as the best book to have started the new year in, don't get me wrong isn't wasn't that bad but comparing the first and second book it had what most books had... the second book slump but alas Thierry did kinda make up for it

I'm hoping the third book kinda picks up.

[Emlikescake · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is nowhere near as terrible as I thought it would be! It’s cheesy, had vampires and is total chick lit, but it’s also quite funny. And Canadian. Who woulda guessed it for a free book in the laundry room of my apartment building? Perfect oceanside vacation reading to completely turn off your brain.

[Valerie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Liked this one even less than the first book . The main character hasn't learned a thing from the first book. After finding that she is a vampire and nearly losing her life she still has the attitude of a stubborn teenager who is going to do everything her way. I won't be reading any more of the series. I didn't even finish reading this one past the second chapter

[Siobhan D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the dual narration of Lillian Yves and Vincent Lee Grayson

Funny and sexy. Full of emotion, mystery, suspense, and laugh out loud humour. Even Sarah finds herself in a life style not of her choosing she lives it to her best. This book is full of great characters and great situations that will have you laughing. A great vampire romance.

[BookwormMomma7 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great follow up.

This one will keep you guessing all the way. Good story line and as usual great characters.
Thierry and Sarah have a lot to work out and things are not looking food. She has become a most wanted vamp and Thierry has issues to workout himself. Just know your emotions will be all over the place with this one.