"It Happened One Bite" Review

"It Happened One Bite"
by Lydia Dare

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Release Date: March 1, 2011

Source: sent by publisher

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Summary from goodreads.com:

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...

My Review:


There aren't very many historical paranormal romances, so I try to check them out when I see them. This one is really well done and lot sweeter than modern day paranormals in my opinion.


The romance takes center stage, while the paranormal world of witches and vampyres (that's how it's spelled here) is created around them. Honestly, witches interest me much more than vampyres, so I was more interested in Blaire's powers and mythology than James'. Vampyres just have that ick factor that I can't get past. While there were one or two ick moments in this one for me, I managed to get past it.


For a vampyre, James is incredibly sweet and I love the way their story turns out- I'm not telling, you'll have to read it! James is, of course, very handsome, and I love that blurts out his feelings without thinking first. It's a little awkward and cute. 


Blaire is so strong, both on the inside and outside. She's a battle-born witch, so she has super strength. It's a teeny bit strange to me that she's stronger and taller than most men, but she manages to find the one supernatural male who is both stronger and taller than her. So there's the traditional gender roles creeping back in. It would have been interesting to see how they would have dealt with things otherwise.


The secondary characters are lots of fun and really brighten up the story. Blaire's brothers and James' friend add spice to the story, and even Bruce the cat adds some comic relief.



Main Characters: 4/5
Supporting Characters: 4/5 
Setting: 4/5
Romance: 4/5
Uniqueness: 4/5
Cover: 4/5
Writing: 4/5


Bottom Line: Overall, this is a real page turner with a lot of paranormal action while a sweet, loving romance is still the heart of the story.