Tracy’s review of It Happened One Bite (Regency Vampyre Trilogy #1) by Lydia Dare
Rich, titled, and undead, gentleman vampyre James Maitland fears himself doomed to a cold and lonely existence-until Scottish witch Blaire Lindsay arrives, and things begin to heat up considerably…
One night James Maitland is surrounded by a coven of witches who then seemed to put a spell on him. He’s pretty shocked when he awakens and finds himself in the Highlands…twenty years later. He’s also shocked to find himself attracted in a big way to a coven witch by the name of Blaire Lindsay.
Blaire and her brothers are at Briarcraig Castle after they find out that Blaire’s brother, Aiden, has inherited it. Not only do they find a place that Blaire didn’t even know existed (but has been in her family for a darned long time) but they also find a cask of money and a man locked in their cellar. Blaire’s surprised and is bound and determined to get to the bottom of why exactly James is there. She’s mighty attracted to James as well and is thrilled when he says he wants to marry her but he doesn’t love her – he actually says that he can’t as he doesn’t believe that vampyre’s have hearts. Blaire spent her whole life with her father who didn’t love her mother and she’s not going to relive that in her own life.
James mentally contacts his friend and maker, Matthew Blodswell, to come and get him. But when Matthew arrives he informs James that a couple of old “friends” (more like enemies) are after him as well and they’ll not stop until they harm James and anyone he cares about. That includes Blaire and her family. James refuses to leave Briarcraig until he knows that everyone is safe but Blaire has other ideas. In a move to keep her family safe Blaire returns with them to Edinburgh. James is devastated by Blaire’s desertion but in his heartbroken state some strange magic happens.
If you have been reading past books by Lydia Dare then you are a bit familiar with Blaire and her coven. Though this is the first book in the Regency Vampyre series it truly is a continuation of the series that began with the Westfield Wolves. I’m quite sure that I would have been confused at what was going on with the characters and the overall story arc without having read the Westfield Wolves books first. That being said I really did like what Dare did with her vamps! Dare made James and Matthew good vamps and quite likable – they were honorable, protective and fun to read about. You gotta love a vamp with a great sense of humor!
Blaire and James’s relationship was different – not bad – just different because of what Blaire was…which is a battle-born witch. She fights, she’s not a prissy regency miss and she curses with the best of them. James loved it and I loved him all the more because he wasn’t turned off by Blaire and her personality.
The end, with regard to the romance, was well done and I was quite happy with it. Unfortunately there was a whole issue that had to do with the previous coven members that was left hanging. We were told part of a story regarding the previous coven but then we weren’t given the end of the story. I’m sure (at least I hope) that this will be revisited in the other books of the trilogy but I have to admit that I was a bit frustrated with the lack of information.
Overall it was a fun book and delightful read.
Rating: 3.75 out of 5
You can read more from Tracy at Tracy’s Place
This book is available from Sourcebooks Casablanca. You can buy it here or here in e-format.
If I was still reading adult paranormal, this book sounds like it’d be something that I’d want to read.
Thanks for the review Tracy, I’m going to save the title. =)