Review: In the Heat of the Bite by Lydia Dare

In the Heat of the Bite
~Lydia Dare

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publish Date: July 1, 2011
ISBN-10: 1402245106
ISBN-13: 978-1402245107
ASIN: B00514OX4E


From Goodreads:
Chivalry is far from undead...
Matthew Halkett, Earl of Blodswell, is one of the few men in the ton who can claim to be a knight in shining armor- because that's precisely what he was before being turned into a vampyre. When he spies a damsel in distress in the midst of a storm in Hyde Park, his natural instinct is to rush to her aid...

But not every woman needs to be rescued...
Weather-controlling witch Rhiannon Sinclair isn't caught in a storm-she's the cause of it. She's mortified to have been caught making trouble by the imposing earl, but she doesn't need any man-never has, and is sure she never will...

But when Rhiannon encounters Matthew again, her powers go awry and his supernatural abilities run amok. Between the two of them, the ton is thrown into an uproar. There's never been a more tempestuous scandal...

Rhiannon Sinclair has traveled from Scotland to England in search of her younger sister, Ginessa.  Rhiannon's Aunt Greer has taken her to England for the Season, and Rhiannon is worried Aunt Greer has a hidden agenda.   While she's in England, Rhiannon is staying with her newly married friend, Cait, who is one of her coven sisters - Rhiannon is also a witch who can control the weather.

Matthew Hilkett, Earl of Blodswell, is over 650 years old.  He's back in England at his ancestral home with the newly turned vampire, Alec MacQuarrie.  Blodswell was forced to turn him after a vicious attack, and now he must mentor MacQuarrie as a vampire.

While Rhiannon is walking home from her aunt's home, she is so distraught over her sister's situation that she creates a terrible storm.  Blodswell, thinking she is a damsel in distress, attempts to rescue her, but she runs from him.  They keep getting thrown together (oftentimes at Cait's insistence), and Rhiannon soon realizes Blodswell is not as terrible as she supposed, and perhaps he had reason to turn MacQuarrie.  Blodswell, in turn, is captivated by Rhiannon, he cannot get her out of his head - he can't drink except from Rhiannon, which he will not do in respect for her honor.

She wants him, he wants her, but there doesn't seem to be a solution to their dilemma....

My thoughts:
I really enjoy the writings of the duo that is Lydia Dare; their historical paranormal stories are captivating.   When the coven was first introduced (in Tall, Dark, and Wolfish), I didn't think I'd like the witches, but I do.  I'm not as enamored by the vampires as I am by the wolves, but they are entertaining.  Blodswell is a man of utmost breeding and manners, and for that reason he had a difficult time recriprocating Rhiannon's feelings for him and acting on his feelings for her.  Rhiannon is more hot-headed and impulsive; she doesn't think twice about sending a bolt of lightning to make her point. 

While I liked both Rhiannon and Blodswell, I found that for me, the best parts of the story involved the secondary characters in this book - Cait's lycan brothers-in-law (Dash's brothers from The Taming of the Wolf) were wickedly charming and I especially liked the oldest brother, Archer Radbourne, who seems to be a fun-loving scoundrel.  I also found myself searching for passages involving MacQuarrie - his heartbreak over Cait's marriage to Dash and his despair that he'll ever find love himself have me looking forward to his story in the next book in this series - Never Been Bit, out in September.

My Rating:

This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: It Happened One Bite by Lydia Dare

It Happened One Bite
~Lydia Dare

Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publish Date: March 1, 2011
ISBN-10: 1402245076
ISBN-13: 978-1402245077

From Goodreads:
Blaire Lindsay's been warned that her ancestral home is haunted. But it will take more than tales of a ghost to frighten Blaire, a battle-born witch with supernatural strength and the ability to make sparks fly from her fingertips. Hearing spectral wails, she decides to search for their source, and is surprised to find a handsome young man chained to the dungeon wall. But when Blair frees James from his bonds, she quickly discovers she's unloosed far more than she could ever have imagined...Soon the castle is overrun with vampires whose perfect manners and compelling blood lust make for some very awkward moments, and Blair and James are joined in the fight of their lives to save everything they hold dear from the forces of evil...

Blaire Lindsay is a witch - one of a coven of five powerful Scottish witches. Her brother has inherited Briarcraig Castle, so she must go with him to inspect it and see if it is hospitable.

James Maitland, Lord Kettering, has been in a magically-induced sleep for 20 years, in the bowels of the castle. The last thing he remembers is being surrounded by a group of five witches... When Blaire gets to the castle, Kettering stirs. He doesn't know how long he's been asleep, where he is, or why he woke up.

When Blaire finds him in the cellar, she is as confused as he is, but offers hospitality. She is curious about him and wants to find out why her coven's mothers would have trapped him. Kettering is intrigued by Blaire, she doesn't respond to his vampyre suggestions. As they spend more time together, attraction between them grows.

Kettering must find his ring - one of three given to his master by an ancient clan of witches, it allows him to roam in the sunlight. As soon as Kettering is awakened, his master can senses him and rushes to the castle, thankful that he is "alive" and anxious to find out what happened to him. The only problem with that is that the other vampyre tied to their group, Sarah, also senses Kettering. They know Sarah is seeking revenge and coming for Kettering.

My thoughts: I am a huge fan of Lydia Dare's werewolves, so when I heard they were doing vampires, I was thrilled! The story was cute, but did drag a bit in spots, such as hunting for the ring and pondering the reasons for trapping Kettering. I really liked the vamps though - Kettering and his maker, the Earl of Blodswell were both delightful. Of all the witches in the coven, I think Blaire has been my least favorite, and that was apparent in this book; she's very arguementative and I found myself a bit put-off by it. We do get to see some of our old friends again and catch up on what's been happening with the other witches; Alex MacQuarie has a big storyline in this book that I'm looking forward to following in future books. I'm not sure how I feel about Kettering's final situation; it's a happy ending, but seemed a bit too "easy" for this reader. All in all though, It Happened One Bite is a wonderful installment to this fabulous series!

This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Interview and Giveaway with Lydia Dare - authors of The Taming of the Wolf

I'd like to welcome the writing duo of Tammy Falkner and Jodie Pearson, also known as Lydia Dare, authors of a fantastic historical paranormal romance series. I had a few questions and they were more than willing to answer:

In the third book in the series, The Wolf Next Door, Dash was quite the villain. In your current release, The Taming of The Wolf, he is the hero. I didn’t think I’d like Dash but I really did! I also loved that Cait didn’t just accept him and fought him every step of the way. Is it difficult to come up with new scenarios to create conflict between the hero and heroine?

Lydia/Jodie – Thanks, Patti. I’m so glad you ended up liking Dash after all. I don’t think we’ve had any issues with coming up with new scenarios yet. I think all of our heroes have been different from each other and the same goes for our heroines. And for me, that makes the story easy to write. Dash will react differently in any given situation than Ben or Simon would, so the story will be different because he’s the main character. Same goes for the heroines. Cait will make a different choice than Elspeth would, and so on.

Lydia/Tammy – Running out of conflict is impossible, in my opinion, especially when you have meddlesome coven-sisters to help it along should you get stuck. Those ladies are an endless supply of trouble.

Lydia Dare is actually two authors working together - I’m always interested in how a writing team works. How did you meet and begin writing as a team? Did either of you write alone before you became Lydia Dare?

Lydia/Jodie – We both belong to Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, based in Raleigh NC. Tammy and I both joined at the same time and became friends a few years before we decided to try writing together. I have a handful of finished manuscripts that are solely mine, but before writing novels, I was screenwriting.

Lydia/Tammy – We were both writing solo. I had one book published with a small press and was writing a contemporary paranormal when I met Jodie. We started writing these books kind of like a game of round robin, and I don’t think either of ever thought anything would come of it. But two months after we started, we had a complete manuscript. Not long after, we’d sold the series and we now have ten books coming out with Sourcebooks.

Have you always known the storyline from the beginning or do you just write as it takes you? Do you know how many books will be in the series? We’ve already met wolves and witches, and coming up we’ll meet vampires. Are there any other supernatural creatures lurking around?

Lydia/Jodie – We never know what will happen in a story, just that it will have a happy ever after ending. We know who our characters are when we start the book and we know what conflict we’re starting off with, but no idea how we get to the end. :) As of right now there will be a total of 10 books in the series. The four that came out 2010, three scheduled for release in 2011, and three more that we’re just starting on for 2012. Anything can happen after that. As for other supernatural creatures, we’ve talked about a couple different options, but we haven’t seriously considered anything else yet.

Lydia/Tammy – In Tall, Dark and Wolfish, Ben mentions that witches aren’t real. And the thought of going out to find one to heal him is ludicrous. So, even though there were witches and Lycans in our fictional world, they didn’t know of one another’s existence. The same goes for vampyres. In light of this, I think there could definitely be other beings in the Regency period.

It looks like the next two books will feature vampires and the witches. Will we still see the wolves around?

Lydia/Jodie – Actually the next three books will feature vampyres and the remaining witches of Caitrin’s coven. Benjamin Westfield has a cameo in each book as his wife is part of the same coven and therefore connected to the other witchy heroines. Poor Ben, those witches do love to torture him.

Lydia/Tammy – There’s nothing I like more than a cameo from a former hero and heroine in a series. I like to see how they’ve wizened and how they’ve grown. I also like to see them have children or otherwise live happily ever after. So, I think you’ll see more of all the original “cast” before this series is over.

In your Wolf books, the wolves mate for life and only change at the full moon; are the “rules” for vampires the traditional ones that follow common folklore or do you add any twists?

Lydia/Jodie – I think our vampyres follow the common folklore for the most part. No walking in sunlight unless you have a special piece of jewelry, etc. There is one major difference, but it would be a complete spoiler, so I can’t reveal it.

Lydia/Tammy – I think they’re completely different from the stereotype. But only OUR vampyres are different in that way. A former generation of the Còig set the stage for our vamps to be quite special. And I hope the readers find it to be a refreshing change.

What types of books do you like to read for fun? Do you read books in your genre or do you prefer to stay away when reading for pleasure?

Lydia/Jodie – I used to read ALL the time, and mainly historical romance. Tammy likes to say I live in the 19th Century, and that’s kind of true. These days, we’re so busy that I really only have time to peruse research books. I need a vacation with a stack of books so I can get caught up on the latest offerings of my favorite authors.

Lydia/Tammy – When we’re writing wolves, I try to stay away from wolf books. When we’re writing vampyres, I stay away from those. I want to try to keep our characters and their world as unique as possible and always afraid something I’ve read will seep into my writing. But I love historicals. I read a lot on my iPad, when I can find the time.


Thanks so much ladies for stopping by; I love the wolves and can't wait to meet the vampyres!

The Giveaway: Thanks to Sourcebooks, I have 1 set of the 4 Lydia Dare Books (A Certain Wolfish Charm, Tall Dark and Wolfish, The Wolf Next Door and The Taming of the Wolf)to give away - 1 winner, US and Canada only, please.

To enter, leave a meaningful comment below with your e-mail address. Extra entries:
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Contest ends Friday, December 3.

THE TAMING OF THE WOLF BY LYDIA DARE—IN STORES NOVEMBER 2010
A fresh and imaginative world of noble werewolves, each of whom encounters nearly insurmountable problems in his quest to live a normal life among England’s Regency society.

Dashiel Thorpe has grown up with the sobriquet “The monster of Eynsford.” Each full moon, when he turns into a wild beast, he has been chained to the wall to protect those around him. He has never before encountered a creature like himself, until he goes to visit his university friend and encounters a family of Lycans living just next door.

When the full moon turns the pack of them into wolves, Dashiel’s feral ways bring him to near-disaster, and when he bites Caitrin McLeod he unknowingly sets off a chain of events that could lead to his ultimate destruction.

Banished to Scotland to find a mentor and get trained in how to be a proper werewolf, Dashiel must also find Caitrin and persuade her that she’s his only chance for salvation…

About the Author
Lydia Dare is the writing team of Tammy Falkner and Jodie Pearson. Both Tammy and Jodie are active members of the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers and live near Raleigh, North Carolina. They are working together on their next paranormal historical trilogy as Lydia Dare, which will be released by Sourcebooks Casablanca in 2011! For more information, please visit http://www.lydiadare.com/.

Review: The Taming of the Wolf by Lydia Dare

From the author's website:
Regency England has gone to the wolves!

He could never lose control… Dashiel Thorpe, Earl of Brimsworth, has spent his life fighting the wolf within him. But when the full moon rises, Dash is helpless. A chance encounter with Caitrin Macleod on a moonlit night inadvertently binds the two together irrevocably, and Dash’s impulsiveness plunges them both into a nightmare…

She never saw him coming… Caitrin Macleod is no quiet country lass, but a witch with remarkable abilities. But when it comes to Dashiel, she’s as helpless to fight his true nature as he is. Her senses overwhelmed, she runs back to the safety and security of her native Scotland… But Dashiel is determined to follow her—she’s the only woman who can free him from a fate worse than death. And Caitrin will ultimately have to decide whether she’s running from danger, or true love…

__________________

After finishing the last book in this series, The Wolf Next Door, I didn't think I'd like the hero or heroine in The Taming of the Wolf. I'll admit it - I was wrong - Lydia Dare does it again! I think you know I'm a huge fan of this series, and this book did not disappoint; this is my 2nd favorite book in the series (A Certain Wolfish Charm is still my fave).

The story: While wandering the Westfield's castle, unable to sleep, Caitlin Macleod wanders into the study to find her book. She knows she must stay in the house because it is a full moon, and the Lycan family she is staying with has impressed upon her that it is safer that way.

Unbeknownst to her, someone is in the study - Dashiel Thorpe, Earl of Brimsworth. Dash is also a Lycan, although he has an unpleasant history with the Westfield family, and they are holding him in the study until they can decide what to do with him. Dash is immediately attracted to Cait, and kisses her...then bites her! She runs off and he's confused about why he just did that. Long story short, he claimed her! He's got to convince her to marry him or he will be alone the rest of his life until one of them dies.

Cait is a witch who sees the future of the people around her. She didn't want her best friend and fellow witch to marry a Lycan, and she certainly is not interested in this Lycan for herself. But he calms her, and when she touches him she gets a reprieve from all the future images that constantly bombard her when she's around people. And she did enjoy that kiss....

My thoughts: Loved it! Dash had such a sad history, he didn't know he was a Lycan until just a few days before this book takes place, he thought he was a monster. I felt sympathy for him and he was so sweet and vulnerable underneath that Alpha demeanor. (And he growls alot - yum!) Cait was stubborn and witchy - I laughed when she tricked him into drinking a sleep draught :)

There's a not-quite love triangle going on. Alec McQuarrie is still pursuing Cait, even though she's told him he's not in her future he refuses to give up. Dash and Alec butt heads a few times, and Cait just rolls her eyes. And when Dash and Cait get to Scotland and another suitor comes out - poor Dash! I loved it! Also loved the book Cait picked up at the beginning of the story - poor Dash just can't catch a break, haha!

So, in summary, great story, fun characters, sweet romance. What's not to love?

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Release Date: November 1, 2010
ISBN-10: 1402244371
ISBN-13: 978-1402244377

My Rating:

Come back on November 23 for an interview with the writing team of Lydia Dare - I'll also be giving away 1 set of the 4 Lydia Dare Books (A Certain Wolfish Charm, Tall Dark and Wolfish, The Wolf Next Door and The Taming of the Wolf)!

This book was received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Tall, Dark and Wolfish by Lydia Dare

Well, Ms. Dare, you've done it again! I am totally in love with the Westfield Brothers - all three are completely sigh-worthy...

In this second book in her werewolf trilogy, we are introduced to Lord Benjamin Westfield, the youngest of the three brothers. We don't meet him in A Certain Wolfish Charm, except to hear he's missing and possibly gone off to Scotland.

He has gone off to Scotland; he wasn't able to change at the last full moon, and he's in search of a healer. He plans to stay with an old friend, Alec MacQuarrie, while he searches for this old woman. When he arrives, Alec is on his way to a ball with a young woman he's been pursuing. Alec asks Ben to escort the young lady's friend, Elspeth.

Elspeth Campbell is a young witch. Her best friends are all witches and her closest friend has forseen that a wolf will tear Elspeth away and destroy the coven. Elspeth knows this must refer to her father, who was a werewolf - she has the mark on her skin, passed down by her father. She plans to seek out her father and confront him; the only problem is she doesn't know who he is - he left her mother and never came back

When Ben tells Elspeth who he's looking for, she realizes he wants her mother, who is dead. She tells Ben she can help him but even though he feels drawn to her, he is reluctant to disclose his secrets. Then he sees her powers and thinks maybe she can help.

As Ben and Elspeth are drawn to each other, the coven sisters are trying to keep her from falling in love and leaving the coven. Of course there are many misunderstandings and twists along the way to this HEA: Ben needs to change to his wolf shape, Elspeth wants to find her father, the coven doesn't want to be separated.

Not to sound like a squeeing fangirl (which I am), but I loved this book! At first I was a little hesitant when I realized the heroine was a witch (I'm not much for witch stories) but I was so wrong to be worried! I liked Elspeth and adored Ben! Elspeth was a strong heroine without being obnoxious, and I liked that she wasn't willing to settle. Ben was your typical clueless bachelor who did't know what hit him once he fell in love, but he was soooo sweet! Their friends were fun to read and full of surprises. (I hope we see more of Alec and Elspeth's friend Caitlin in the next book).

The middle brother, Will, who I fell in love with in the first book, is back for this book. He comes across as something of a "himbo" but he really cares for his family and friends. His non-relationship with Prisca (from book 1) is hinted at again here.

This book was sexy and sweet and I couldn't get enough! I give Tall, Dark and Wolfish 5/5 stars! Book 3, The Wolf Next Door, comes out in June!

Review: A Certain Wolfish Charm by Lydia Dare, or How I Love Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

I hate peanut butter. Hate it with a passion. Even the smell grosses me out. BUT, I love Reese's Cups. I can't explain it - something about the peanut butter mixed with that chocolatey goodness is sooooo yummy; it's a perfect match, the flavors complement each other well. This book was like a Reese's Cup....only instead of chocolate and peanut butter it's a great mix of historical and paranormal romance. I'd been a bit burnt out on historical romances lately, and craving good paranormal romances. Blodeuedd's review put this book on my radar, so when I took my daughters book shopping and saw it on the shelf I grabbed it. This historical paranormal romance was just what I was looking for.

Lily Rutledge is "on the shelf" at the age of 23. She lives with her 12-year-old nephew, Oliver. Oliver's parents died in a carriage accident and Lily stepped in to take care of him. His actual guardian, however, is Simon Westfield, the Duke of Blackmore; Lily and Oliver never see the Duke, although he does support them financially. When Lily writes to ask for assistance when Oliver's behavior starts getting out of hand, the Duke's reply is to send more cash. Lily is furious at this response, and decides to pay Lord Blackmore a visit to explain what's going on and ask him to step in as a "male influence" for Oliver.

What Lily doesn't know is that Oliver is actually a werewolf, and it's not just puberty he's dealing with, but the start of "the change". In this story, werewolves are all male, and they get very moody around the full moon. When Lily travels to see the Duke, he is annoyed at the intrusion as he normally goes away during this moon phase - the last thing he needs is a beautiful woman running around his household. Once Lily explains the problem, however, he agrees to help Oliver.

The escapades they go through trying to avoid each other when they are undeniably pulled towards each other are endearing. Simon has a history as quite the ladies man, but when he falls for Lily he turns tongue tied and bumbles around saying the wrong thing, to quite a funny effect. When Simon and Lily finally succumb to their desires I wanted to stand up and cheer! The only thing is, Simon keeps his secret from Lily. Lily knows something is up, and she's persistent without being annoying. The scenes between Simon and Oliver as they established who was the "top dog" were entertaining as well.

Simon's neighbor Prisca is a saucy but sweet young thing, I have the feeling we'll be seeing her again. His brother Will is also endearing and gets his hackles up whenever Prisca is around, but their brother Benjamin also seems to have some sort of friendship with Prisca. Simon's mother seems like a kind,older woman with a backbone of steel. Her first meeting with Lily was quite a scene!

I loved this book! There was nothing about it I didn't like. If there were any historical innacuracies, I was too enamored of the story to notice or care. Lydia Dare writes a great story. The scenes flowed so naturally, there was never a spot where I thought, "oh, here's a good place to stop"; I always wanted to know what was next!

This one's going on my keeper shelf - I give A Certain Wolfish Charm 5/5 stars!

Addendum: The second book in this series: Tall, Dark, and Wolfish, releases today!