Born to Bite by Lynsay Sands

Born to Bite
by Lynsay Sands
ISBN-13: 9-780061-474323
Rating: 4 ♥ / 5 ♥ – I really liked it

Legend has it that Armand Argeneau is a killer in the bedroom…

But with all three of his late wives meeting unfortunate and untimely ends, is this sexy immortal a lover or a murderer? That’s what Eshe d’Aureus intends to find out. As an enforcer, it’s her job to bring rogue vampires to justice, even if the rogue in question makes her blood race red hot.

Armand knew she was trouble the moment Eshe roared into town on her motorcycle, clad in tight black leather. She claims she’s hiding from dangerous fiends, though he suspects something more. But after three wives who’ve all had trouble remaining, well, undead, Armand is reluctant to open his heart again. Then strange accidents start to happen, each deadlier than the last, and Armand realizes he may not have much time to prove he’s a lover, not a slayer.

I love this series, and Born to Bite did not disappoint.

Armand Argeneau is the brother-in-law of Marguerite – she and her children were the focus of six of the ten Argeneau Family books, and she appears/is mentioned in the other four. Armand’s had pretty bad luck in the past, with three wives dieing, and his son’s wife being murdered. So when Eshe needs to stay at his farm and turns out to be his life mate, things get complicated – especially since Eshe isn’t staying with Armand for the reasons he was told. This is the story that wraps up the over-arching mystery plot line of the Rogue Hunter books, brings in information from the Argeneau Family books, and is just…good.

I really liked that the life mates in this one are both already quite old immortals, and have both had life mates before. There was no explanation of immortals needed, no scene of a life mate deciding (or needing) to become a vampire, and no angsty “will they, or will they not get together.” The focus wasn’t so much on the life mates this time, but on wrapping up a four book long mystery (that spanned hundreds of years). All the characters are slowly coming together, finding their life mates and repairing the breaks in the Argeneau family. As usual, the sex scenes are tastefully, and moderately – yet deliciously – written. They are an addition to the plot, they don’t take it over. I definitely had to read ahead in this one (as always happens with mysteries); I thought I figured out who the killer of Armand’s life mate and wifes, and Nicholas’ wife, was and I had to make sure 😉

Born to Bite is another entertaining addition to the Argeneau vampire series, and I will definitely be picking up the next book, Hungry For You when it’s released on November 30, 2010.

One thing I have to mention – I really wish they’d replicate the Argeneau family tree found on Lynsay Sands’ website in the books. It’s hard to keep track of everyone sometimes, especially after 13 novels.

The Renegade Hunter by Lynsay Sands

The Renegade Hunter
by Lynsay Sands
ISBN-13: 9-780061-474316
Rating: 4 ♥ / 5 ♥

Nicholas Argeneau was once a successful hunter who went after rogue vampires who break the immortal law. Except no one has mentioned his name in the last fifty years, not since he turned into a rogue himself. But once a hunter, always a hunter. When Nicholas sees a bloodthirsty sucker terrifying a woman, it’s second nature for him to come to her rescue. He had no idea he would also want to kiss her senseless…

One minute Josephine Willan is taking in a breath of fresh air, and the next sharp fangs are heading straight for her neck! Luckily a gorgeous stranger saves her life . . . and gets locked up for his troubles. Can a man who kisses so lovingly and passionately really have committed the crime he’s accused of? Jo isn’t so sure…and she’s determined to prove that this renegade hunter is worth fighting for.

 

I’m a closet fan of paranormal romance, but have found few that I really love. Lynsay Sands’ vampire series about the Argeneau family are my favourites. Each book (there are thirteen so far) revolve around a different member of the family finding their life mate. The most three books in the series have left the immediate Argeneau family and focused on cousins and friends – each one an Enforcer for the Council who work under Lucien Argeneau (who we meet in Bite Me If You Can).

Nicholas Argeneau is a cousin who we’ve heard mentioned in earlier books, and actually got to meet in the last book, The Immortal Hunter, so it was great getting to read his story – Nicholas was an Enforcer who turned rogue after he killed a pregnant woman fifty years ago. Like the rest of the series, The Renegade Hunter focuses on Nicholas finding his life mate in Jo (sister to Sam from The Rogue Hunter), but through it all we get to find out his backstory and even get to solve a mystery; is Nicholas really guilty of murder? Or is he innocent?

As usual, Lynsay’s writing and storyline sucked me into the book. I’m invested in this family, now. I need to know that everyone ends up happy, and nothing terribly horrible happens to them on the way to being happy. As this is a paranormal romance, there is sex to be had, but it doesn’t distract from the plot line and is in fact a normal progression of the current scene. Overall, the pacing is good and the action flows well. Also? I love Lynsay’s explanation for her vampires! If I can’t have the traditional Dracula-type vampires, all I ask for is a good explanation and a reason for the can’s and cannot’s (blood drinking, holy objects, sunlight, staking, etc.). Lynsay delivers and I love it.

Because her books follow the same characters from book to book, I expect a certain amount of unresolved issues, but usually there are hardly any (since each character’s story needs to be wrapped up, after all). I have never before been disappointed in the ending of one of her Argeneau books – until The Renegade Hunter. Throughout the book Jo tries to convince Nicholas that he is innocent of the murder he is said to have committed, and at the end we find out whether he is innocent or guilty – but not why that verdict is declared. We won’t find out until next August when the next book is published and we get to read the story of Armand, Nicholas’ father. I hate waiting. But hey, at least now I’m guaranteed to buy the next book, though I would have anyway; Lynsay Sands’ Argeneau series is on my auto-buy list! And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

 

The reading order for the Argeneau family books can be found here on Lynsay Sands’ website, along with family trees and the first chapter of each book.