Bitten & Smitten

You've probably noticed that I've been reading a lot of paranormal romance lately. It's partly because I've had good luck with them. The luck continues with Michelle Rowen's Bitten & Smitten: 4 out of 5.

Dear Mom,

I might be a wee bit late for Cousin Missy's wedding. It's been a tough week. Turns out, my blind date from hell was literally from hell. Guy bit me. Next thing I know, I'm being chased all over the city by vampire hunters. And did I mention that I got fired, too?

Bright side--I met a man. Thierry de Bennicoeur. How great is that name? Anyway, he's sexy, six hundred years old, and a tad suicidal, but no one's perfect, right? And we have a deal--he's gonna show me the ropes of the vampire world, and I'm supposed to help him end his existence. Or maybe I'll just try to convince him life is worth living--no small challenge with the mostly immortal, let me tell you. I'll admit it's a complicated relationship. But with any luck, I just might have a date for that wedding after all.

Hugs and kisses,
Sarah

The back cover copy gives you a pretty good idea of the story--it's told in first-person from Sarah's point of view with a combination of comedy and drama. This POV works best when you like the main character, because you end up spending a lot of time with him or her. Thankfully, I liked Sarah, so it was easy to spend time with her.

On to a few other things I enjoyed about Bitten & Smitten. I liked the fact that Sarah's initiation into vampirism isn't smooth, and she goes through stages of acceptance. I enjoyed scenes like the one at the wedding when Sarah realizes who her cousin is really marrying. It plays out in an amusing way. And the scene with Thierry's shard is terrific as well.

There's a great secondary character worth mentioning, who is initially part of a love triangle. I hope he gets his own story.

A few minor points: Sarah takes charge of something (trying to avoid spoilers) at the end of the book, and it seemed a little silly that the other vampires hadn't already considered the solution. A small nitpick, but one that jarred me. I also wanted to see more of Thierry, in more ways than one. ;) Still, I enjoyed the book, and I'm looking forward to Rowen's next book as well as the second book in Sarah's series.