REVIEW: One Bite Per Night by Brooklyn Ann

In One Bite Per Night (Scandals With a Bite #2)  by Brooklyn Ann, Lydia Price has taken a voyage from America to England after the death of her parents. She received word that her grandmother, the Dowager Countess of Morley whom she has never met, will help her ready for her debut in London society in an effort to be married. Only, when Lydia arrives in England, she is taken to the castle of Lord Vincent Tremayne. Her grandmother is still angry that her father had the audacity to marry a commoner and is refusing to take Lydia in to her home. Suddenly feeling unwanted and out of place, she throws herself into her painting and etiquette lessons with her chaperone. But Vincent is what really captures her attention with his enigmatic, broody ways. She is certain he feels the growing attraction between them, but keeps her at arms length. When a tragic situation changes her life forever, will Lydia finally get the confession of love from Vincent she so longs for?

‘Not only did she want Vincent’s kisses, she wanted his heart. She did not want or need to go to London to find the man she would love and marry. She’d already found him.’

Lord Vampire of Cornwall, Vincent Tremayne, has spent two centuries believing himself a monster. This notion has pushed him to be fair and without judgement of the vampires he is charged to oversee. But the humans surrounding his home view him as mysterious, dubbing him the devil lord. When Vincent abides by an old promise to take guardianship of any Morley heir in need, he knows he will be forever changed with Lydia Price in his home. He is instantly taken with the American beauty, so he makes plans quickly concerning her debut into the ton. But when Vincent’s feelings can’t be denied any longer and he finally hopes to make his intentions known, Lydia finds herself in danger. It is up to him to find a way to save her, hopefully not endangering his life or their future together, in the process.

‘Would he tell her he couldn’t let her go, that they didn’t have to go to London? That instead they could remain here…together? “She walks in beauty, like the night,” he whispered.’

One Bite Per Night has an enchanting blend of genres: historical romance and paranormal romance. I wasn’t quite sure how the two would work together at first, but author Brooklyn Ann did a great job taking the best of both worlds and giving us a new, fresh story with engaging characters.

‘Lydia would remain safe under his care, even from his own kind. His eyes narrowed as he bit his index finger, drawing blood. Especially from his own kind.’

For some, it may seem out of place to have vampires running amok in a romance set in the early 1800s. I, personally, was intrigued when I read the synopsis. And my interest grew even more when it was evident that the paranormal thread fit together perfectly with Lydia’s arrival in England and later, her emergence into London society. It carried a dark gothic edge that was a nice balance to the frivolities of the ton. I loved that Lydia was written as an intelligent woman who was a talented painter, bravely not backing down from any man, including Vincent. It’s wonderful to see a strong heroine during that time period. (Or any time, really.)

I think what I liked most about Lydia was how astute she was and how well she adjusted to the changes in her new life. She was much more adaptable than Vincent, her guardian Miss Hobson, or anyone else thought she would be. Vincent’s concerns of not doing the right thing by Lydia, and also his fear that she would find out the “monster” he really was, had me liking him right away. He was a stand up guy who tried to keep Lydia’s best interest at heart. Their lack of communication in giving voice to their true feelings was frustrating for me to read at times, but it made for some intensely dramatic scenes that changed the direction of the plot considerably. And very much for the better… 😉

I think if you are a fan of multiple genres, this might be just the right mix for you. I had a wonderful time following Vincent and Lydia’s passionate path to romance, and now I can’t wait to read Rafael’s story next in Bite at First Sight.

Book Info:

Published August 5th 2014 by Sourcebooks Casablanca

The Dowager Countess of Morley asks Vincent Tremayne, Lord Vampire of Cornwall, to become guardian of her American granddaughter. Vincent honors the agreement and plans to get his new ward married and off his hands as soon as possible.

When Lydia Price arrives, she soon turns Vincent’s gloomy castle upside-down, and he decides he wants Lydia for himself. But if Vincent can’t protect Lydia from her entanglement with scandalous portrait painter Sir Thomas Lawrence, the vampire community will make sure that he—and Lydia—face dire consequences…