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Scandals with Bite #1
Bite Me, Your Grace
England's "vampire craze" causes much vexation for the Lord Vampire of London, Ian Ashton. To save his reputation, Ian enlists aspiring authoress Angelica Winthrop without realizing she has hidden plans of her own.
Angelica Winthrop's life goal is to ruin her reputation, avoid marriage, and become a gothic authoress like her idol, Mary Shelley. To find inspiration for her new story, she breaks into the home of Ian Ashton, Duke of Burnrath, not knowing she will be coming up against the Lord Vampire of London. Romance sparks and reputations are at stake. But who knows the real difference between fact and fiction?
Angelica Winthrop's life goal is to ruin her reputation, avoid marriage, and become a gothic authoress like her idol, Mary Shelley. To find inspiration for her new story, she breaks into the home of Ian Ashton, Duke of Burnrath, not knowing she will be coming up against the Lord Vampire of London. Romance sparks and reputations are at stake. But who knows the real difference between fact and fiction?
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 2, 2013
159 people are currently reading
1614 people want to read
About the author
Brooklyn Ann
44 books607 followersAuthor also writes as Brooklyn Ann Butler
Formerly an auto-mechanic, Brooklyn Ann thrives on writing romance, urban fantasy, and horror novels featuring unconventional heroines and heroes who adore them. Author of historical paranormal romance in her critically acclaimed “Scandals with Bite” series, urban fantasy in the cult favorite, “Brides of Prophecy” novels, rockstar romance in the award-winning, “Hearts of Metal” series, and horror in the “Final Couples” series, horror romances riffing on the 1970s and 1980s B horror movies that feature a Final Couple instead of a Final Girl.
She also writes horror under the pen name Brooklyn Ann Butler.
She lives in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho with her gamer son, rockstar/IT Guy boyfriend, three cats, a few project cars, an extensive book collection, and miscellaneous horror memorabilia.
She can be found online at https://brooklynannauthor.com as well as on Twitter, Facebook, Mastodon, and Instagram.
For exclusive updates, sneak peeks, and giveaways, sign up for Brooklyn Ann’s Newsletter at https://www.brooklynannauthor.com/new...
Formerly an auto-mechanic, Brooklyn Ann thrives on writing romance, urban fantasy, and horror novels featuring unconventional heroines and heroes who adore them. Author of historical paranormal romance in her critically acclaimed “Scandals with Bite” series, urban fantasy in the cult favorite, “Brides of Prophecy” novels, rockstar romance in the award-winning, “Hearts of Metal” series, and horror in the “Final Couples” series, horror romances riffing on the 1970s and 1980s B horror movies that feature a Final Couple instead of a Final Girl.
She also writes horror under the pen name Brooklyn Ann Butler.
She lives in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho with her gamer son, rockstar/IT Guy boyfriend, three cats, a few project cars, an extensive book collection, and miscellaneous horror memorabilia.
She can be found online at https://brooklynannauthor.com as well as on Twitter, Facebook, Mastodon, and Instagram.
For exclusive updates, sneak peeks, and giveaways, sign up for Brooklyn Ann’s Newsletter at https://www.brooklynannauthor.com/new...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 296 reviews
March 3, 2016
She couldn't hold back a smile as she remembered him laughing with her on his sofa when she told him about her ghost stories. Resolutely she pushed back the memories. It would not at all do to have warm feelings for this man. Vampire or no, he was still a man and as such he represented the end to her freedom.
This book was great!!! Cute, sweet, fluffy, cheesy, and so romantic. I really enjoyed it.
Angelica does not want to get married to some bore who will spend her inheritance, stifle her spirit, and want her to have children. She wants to be a gothic authoress like Mary Shelley! She writes exciting stories about ghosts, vampires and witches. But her parents are upset with her unladylike ways and determined to marry her off to the highest-ranking man they can.
Ian Ashton, Duke of Burnrath, is a 276-year-old vampire. He is the Lord Vampire of London. He adores passing as a mortal and living in high society, but he has never taken a wife. All that changes when he finds himself intrigued by the headstrong, feminist, fearless Angelica. They dance together and banter with each other. Then, late one night, Ian hears an intruder in his house. A young street urchin. Ian quickly makes him his next meal - only to find when sinking his fangs into dinner that the street urchin is really Angelica in disguise!
His secret exposed, he knows there's only one solution: marry Angelica and save both of their reputations...
...
I loved this book. Silly? Yes. Cheesy? OMG, so cheesy. But sweet and romantic, with a good heart and a sense of humor, I enjoyed it immensely.
THE HIGHLIGHTS:
1.) Book worship. Ann, like many authors, inserts herself into this novel by making Angelica a budding gothic author. Angelica is a writer and she loves books.
Literature was a precious gift. One shouldn't have to hide it from others. The written word should be revered and shared by all, no matter their sex or station in life. Her gaze strayed back to the fireplace, rage curling in her belly at the destruction of a precious book.
Angelica has a "Beauty and the Beast" moment when she gets a gander at Ian's library:
Her breath caught suddenly, and a thrill rushed through her body at the vast array of books in the mammoth chamber. The meager light from the windows gleamed on the high shelves and wheeled ladder. Gas lamps stood in every corner of the room, and two overstuffed wingback chairs sat companionably before an elaborate carved marble fireplace. With such light, one could read all night long if she desired. Angelica let out a breath in a reverent sigh. Burnrath's library was the most beautiful place she'd ever seen. Like the main room, the library seemed immaculately clean. There was not a cobweb in sight, and the chamber smelled of fresh polish.
The duke must spend all of his time here, she mused, having greater respect for the man, given his obvious love of the written word. She tiptoed to the shelves to see what captured his fancy.
2.) Cuteness. Angelica makes an adorable plan to repel Ian and all other suitors by acting unladylike. This completely backfires. It's really sweet and touching how Angelica shows what she thinks of as unattractive, shameful, or ugly sides of herself to Ian and he completely adores and supports her. It's so wonderful and rare to find a man who really likes and appreciates who you are and not some made-up version of you. He encourages her to write
Her heart nearly burst with joy. "You want me to write the story again, truly?"
He even likes her singing, which she has been told all her life is awful.
Ian had to agree with her mother that Angelica's voice was not at all the light trilling or ethereal whisper that one came to expect from accomplished singers of the petticoat line. But Angelica's singing was not unpleasant. Instead her voice was rich, full bodied, and robust, like the finest burgandy.
That's really cute. If a someone can tolerate (or even be fond of) your awful singing, you've got a winner.
3.) KISSING!!!!
The vampire leaned forward. "Death is not your only danger in being alone with me, little Angel." He was so close that she could feel his breath on her lips, and her body, unbidden, began to tremble. He was going to kiss her! She closed her eyes and...
Angelica quickly discovers she enjoys kissing.
Then maybe she could ask him about vampires... and maybe he would kiss her! She frowned. PRACTICAL, she must be practical. And yet her belly fluttered as she imagined his lips on hers...
Yay! Kissing! So much kissing. :)
4.) A heroine who doesn't want to be a mother. OMG I am really, really shocked. I cannot even name a romance novel where the heroine DOESN'T want kids. They ALWAYS want kids. Angelica's views are really refreshing and stunning, considering the genre:
"Unlike most females, I never really gave motherhood much thought except for being outraged on behalf of those women who are subject to a husband's wrath if they fail to provide a male heir, especially since so many die in the effort. I would much rather avoid the whole ordeal."
5.) Ian is a mensch who treats Angelica right.
Angelica felt safe with Ian. Safe... and valued. Every aspect of his behavior in their brief courtship implied he cared about her thoughts and feelings, and he never criticized her for being different from other females. The realization brought another thought. "Perhaps he isn't marrying me only to protect his reputation. Perhaps he is doing it because he's lonely."
And when Angelica shyly asks Ian if she can have a cat as a pet, he remembers his promise.
"He remembers that I want a cat." Angelica's heart bloomed with love. Her breath caught in amazement as she realized that somewhere in their encounters over the past few months she had fallen in love with him. Unlike all her previous suitors, Ian looked at her as a human being with thoughts and feelings of her own. He did not talk to her in that condescending manner in which most men did. Instead, he answered any question she had with a patient respect that urged Angelica to treat him likewise. And... his fathomless charm, breath-stealing good looks, and melting kisses didn't go amiss, either.
And when he gets married to her, he gifts her A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft to show her that he won't cage her in a traditional marriage.
6.) Mercy. Angelica is so compassionate and merciful during the book to people who she could easily crush and had a right to be angry or vengeful at. I love compassionate and merciful people.
Ian also shows mercy towards people who have betrayed him. Merciful men are so attractive. O.O
7.) No mercy. But, Angelica knows when to be ruthless and she is a fierce fighter, capable of defending herself (against mortals, not vampires - who obviously have super-strength.)
8.) Creating excitement for future books. It's always great when an author can pull this off.
"When the cloth was removed from her eyes, the first thing she saw was the scowling Spaniard. A startled squeak escaped her and the vampire actually flinched. A glimmer of pain flashed in his amber eyes before his ruthless sneer returned.
"I apologize if my ugliness offends your tender sensibilities, Your Grace," he growled bitterly.
I was like, "OMG I need Rafe's book RIGHT NOW. He is obviously in desperate need of snuggles. o.O" Sherrilyn Kenyon is also good at making me excited for future books.
9.) Cute Gone with the Wind reference.
Once her body and hair were addressed and she had cleaned her teeth twice, Angelica stood before the mirror dressed impeccably in a royal purple gown trimmed with black lace. "I am the Duchess of Burnrath, and I swear before God that I shall never be pitiful again!"
LOL Silly and cute.
10.) Cheesiness. Tons of romantic cheesiness that was making my heart melt and making me sigh in happiness and contentment.
A thrill of hope electrified her being.
"Oh Ian, my love," she whispered. "Please live, please."
Or
"Oh God, I hurt her so unbearably," he whispered. "I HURT her and yet she still loves me! And she risked her life to save mine. What have I done?"
There's plenty more where THAT came from! So much cheesy goodness. :)
11.) A chance for equality. Even though the society Angelica lives in treats women as little more than property, stopping her from living out her dreams of being an author and having rights - vampire society treats men and women as equals, with many powerful female vampires and a council of Elders made up of both men and women. By marrying Ian and being exposed to this society, Angelica gets to see equality play out in a society for the first time.
...
LOWLIGHTS:
1.) Creepy sleep-watching. Both male and female characters in this book sneak into the bedrooms of their loved ones and watch them sleep. Creepy! I don't understand why this is so popular in books nowadays. o.O
2.) Checking for injuries. Ian does 'check Angelica for injuries' after she's fainted once. Read: feels up her unconscious body. Sick.
3.) Ian didn't know whether to kiss her or take her over his knee for such impudence.
She's not a child, you sicko.
...
NEUTRAL:
1.) "There will be incredible pain the first time, darling," Margaret had said. "And you might bleed. But you must submit to him without complaint until you are pregnant with his heir. After that, he should leave you alone for the most part and fulfill his baser desires on a mistress."
Wow. I am so glad I live in the here and now because I can't even tell you how disgusting it is to send a sheltered young woman with zero knowledge of sex into a marriage to a much older man with this kind of advice. o.O So horrifying. Anyone who wants to time travel to the past must be insane.
Luckily, Ian is a mensch. He's sweet and loving in bed. No dub-con here!
...
Tl;dr - Cute, charming, silly, cheesy, brainless fun. I thoroughly enjoyed it. So much fun. Could the sex have been better? Yes. Could I have done without the bloodsucking? Yes. But overall it was entertaining and sweet. Just what I wanted. :)
3 REAL STARS, 5 ROMANCE STARS
This book was great!!! Cute, sweet, fluffy, cheesy, and so romantic. I really enjoyed it.
Angelica does not want to get married to some bore who will spend her inheritance, stifle her spirit, and want her to have children. She wants to be a gothic authoress like Mary Shelley! She writes exciting stories about ghosts, vampires and witches. But her parents are upset with her unladylike ways and determined to marry her off to the highest-ranking man they can.
Ian Ashton, Duke of Burnrath, is a 276-year-old vampire. He is the Lord Vampire of London. He adores passing as a mortal and living in high society, but he has never taken a wife. All that changes when he finds himself intrigued by the headstrong, feminist, fearless Angelica. They dance together and banter with each other. Then, late one night, Ian hears an intruder in his house. A young street urchin. Ian quickly makes him his next meal - only to find when sinking his fangs into dinner that the street urchin is really Angelica in disguise!
His secret exposed, he knows there's only one solution: marry Angelica and save both of their reputations...
...
I loved this book. Silly? Yes. Cheesy? OMG, so cheesy. But sweet and romantic, with a good heart and a sense of humor, I enjoyed it immensely.
THE HIGHLIGHTS:
1.) Book worship. Ann, like many authors, inserts herself into this novel by making Angelica a budding gothic author. Angelica is a writer and she loves books.
Literature was a precious gift. One shouldn't have to hide it from others. The written word should be revered and shared by all, no matter their sex or station in life. Her gaze strayed back to the fireplace, rage curling in her belly at the destruction of a precious book.
Angelica has a "Beauty and the Beast" moment when she gets a gander at Ian's library:
Her breath caught suddenly, and a thrill rushed through her body at the vast array of books in the mammoth chamber. The meager light from the windows gleamed on the high shelves and wheeled ladder. Gas lamps stood in every corner of the room, and two overstuffed wingback chairs sat companionably before an elaborate carved marble fireplace. With such light, one could read all night long if she desired. Angelica let out a breath in a reverent sigh. Burnrath's library was the most beautiful place she'd ever seen. Like the main room, the library seemed immaculately clean. There was not a cobweb in sight, and the chamber smelled of fresh polish.
The duke must spend all of his time here, she mused, having greater respect for the man, given his obvious love of the written word. She tiptoed to the shelves to see what captured his fancy.
2.) Cuteness. Angelica makes an adorable plan to repel Ian and all other suitors by acting unladylike. This completely backfires. It's really sweet and touching how Angelica shows what she thinks of as unattractive, shameful, or ugly sides of herself to Ian and he completely adores and supports her. It's so wonderful and rare to find a man who really likes and appreciates who you are and not some made-up version of you. He encourages her to write
Her heart nearly burst with joy. "You want me to write the story again, truly?"
He even likes her singing, which she has been told all her life is awful.
Ian had to agree with her mother that Angelica's voice was not at all the light trilling or ethereal whisper that one came to expect from accomplished singers of the petticoat line. But Angelica's singing was not unpleasant. Instead her voice was rich, full bodied, and robust, like the finest burgandy.
That's really cute. If a someone can tolerate (or even be fond of) your awful singing, you've got a winner.
3.) KISSING!!!!
The vampire leaned forward. "Death is not your only danger in being alone with me, little Angel." He was so close that she could feel his breath on her lips, and her body, unbidden, began to tremble. He was going to kiss her! She closed her eyes and...
Angelica quickly discovers she enjoys kissing.
Then maybe she could ask him about vampires... and maybe he would kiss her! She frowned. PRACTICAL, she must be practical. And yet her belly fluttered as she imagined his lips on hers...
Yay! Kissing! So much kissing. :)
4.) A heroine who doesn't want to be a mother. OMG I am really, really shocked. I cannot even name a romance novel where the heroine DOESN'T want kids. They ALWAYS want kids. Angelica's views are really refreshing and stunning, considering the genre:
"Unlike most females, I never really gave motherhood much thought except for being outraged on behalf of those women who are subject to a husband's wrath if they fail to provide a male heir, especially since so many die in the effort. I would much rather avoid the whole ordeal."
5.) Ian is a mensch who treats Angelica right.
Angelica felt safe with Ian. Safe... and valued. Every aspect of his behavior in their brief courtship implied he cared about her thoughts and feelings, and he never criticized her for being different from other females. The realization brought another thought. "Perhaps he isn't marrying me only to protect his reputation. Perhaps he is doing it because he's lonely."
And when Angelica shyly asks Ian if she can have a cat as a pet, he remembers his promise.
"He remembers that I want a cat." Angelica's heart bloomed with love. Her breath caught in amazement as she realized that somewhere in their encounters over the past few months she had fallen in love with him. Unlike all her previous suitors, Ian looked at her as a human being with thoughts and feelings of her own. He did not talk to her in that condescending manner in which most men did. Instead, he answered any question she had with a patient respect that urged Angelica to treat him likewise. And... his fathomless charm, breath-stealing good looks, and melting kisses didn't go amiss, either.
And when he gets married to her, he gifts her A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft to show her that he won't cage her in a traditional marriage.
6.) Mercy. Angelica is so compassionate and merciful during the book to people who she could easily crush and had a right to be angry or vengeful at. I love compassionate and merciful people.
Ian also shows mercy towards people who have betrayed him. Merciful men are so attractive. O.O
7.) No mercy. But, Angelica knows when to be ruthless and she is a fierce fighter, capable of defending herself (against mortals, not vampires - who obviously have super-strength.)
8.) Creating excitement for future books. It's always great when an author can pull this off.
"When the cloth was removed from her eyes, the first thing she saw was the scowling Spaniard. A startled squeak escaped her and the vampire actually flinched. A glimmer of pain flashed in his amber eyes before his ruthless sneer returned.
"I apologize if my ugliness offends your tender sensibilities, Your Grace," he growled bitterly.
I was like, "OMG I need Rafe's book RIGHT NOW. He is obviously in desperate need of snuggles. o.O" Sherrilyn Kenyon is also good at making me excited for future books.
9.) Cute Gone with the Wind reference.
Once her body and hair were addressed and she had cleaned her teeth twice, Angelica stood before the mirror dressed impeccably in a royal purple gown trimmed with black lace. "I am the Duchess of Burnrath, and I swear before God that I shall never be pitiful again!"
LOL Silly and cute.
10.) Cheesiness. Tons of romantic cheesiness that was making my heart melt and making me sigh in happiness and contentment.
A thrill of hope electrified her being.
"Oh Ian, my love," she whispered. "Please live, please."
Or
"Oh God, I hurt her so unbearably," he whispered. "I HURT her and yet she still loves me! And she risked her life to save mine. What have I done?"
There's plenty more where THAT came from! So much cheesy goodness. :)
11.) A chance for equality. Even though the society Angelica lives in treats women as little more than property, stopping her from living out her dreams of being an author and having rights - vampire society treats men and women as equals, with many powerful female vampires and a council of Elders made up of both men and women. By marrying Ian and being exposed to this society, Angelica gets to see equality play out in a society for the first time.
...
LOWLIGHTS:
1.) Creepy sleep-watching. Both male and female characters in this book sneak into the bedrooms of their loved ones and watch them sleep. Creepy! I don't understand why this is so popular in books nowadays. o.O
2.) Checking for injuries. Ian does 'check Angelica for injuries' after she's fainted once. Read: feels up her unconscious body. Sick.
3.) Ian didn't know whether to kiss her or take her over his knee for such impudence.
She's not a child, you sicko.
...
NEUTRAL:
1.) "There will be incredible pain the first time, darling," Margaret had said. "And you might bleed. But you must submit to him without complaint until you are pregnant with his heir. After that, he should leave you alone for the most part and fulfill his baser desires on a mistress."
Wow. I am so glad I live in the here and now because I can't even tell you how disgusting it is to send a sheltered young woman with zero knowledge of sex into a marriage to a much older man with this kind of advice. o.O So horrifying. Anyone who wants to time travel to the past must be insane.
Luckily, Ian is a mensch. He's sweet and loving in bed. No dub-con here!
...
Tl;dr - Cute, charming, silly, cheesy, brainless fun. I thoroughly enjoyed it. So much fun. Could the sex have been better? Yes. Could I have done without the bloodsucking? Yes. But overall it was entertaining and sweet. Just what I wanted. :)
3 REAL STARS, 5 ROMANCE STARS
November 15, 2024
Note: Some of my goodreads shelves can be spoilers
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖 (It was a bit easier to listen to on audio – but I was ready for this to end multiple times before it did)
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔 (I could have used some more background on both the mains but especially the hero)
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡(There was a bit but then they fell into each other pretty easily)
Romance: 💞💞💞 (There was some to me – but also both these characters did things I thought were very unromantic to each other and hurtful)
Sensuality: 💋💋💋 (the scenes were a bit...light? On the explicitness? They were average steamy...but missing something for me. Maybe a touch of emotional pull?)
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥 (ish)
Humor: Yes, a bit
Perspective: third person from both the hero and heroine, and also some from side characters (at least one)
More character focused or plot focused? plot
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: They at a ball together pretty soon in, but I think first real interaction is a bit later on (about 18% or so)
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes
Format: listened to audiobook from library (Hoopla)
Why I chose this book: I read it years ago and didn’t love it – but the author commented on a review post I had for it and said she was redoing the novel and hoped I would try it again. I decided to give a more detailed review and a second chance!
Mains cishet hero and heroine, M/F romance, vampire hero/human heroine
(Descriptions found at end of my review)
Should I read in order?
This is the first in Ann’s Scandals with Bite series.
Basic plot:
Angelica wants to be ruined in society for freedom, but Ian plans on following through with the wedding to help his reputation...
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency – 1821
- London setting
- paranormal historical – there is a secret society of vampires that live among the living
- vampire hero / human heroine
- compromised heroine
- miscommunication trope!
- author heroine
- duke hero
- child free HEA
- medium steam – there are a number of scenes, but they felt a touch light in description/length
Ages:
- hero is 224 years old but looks around 30, heroine is early 20s
First line:
“Ruined.” Angelica Winthrop tasted the word on her tongue and found it to be delicious.
My thoughts:
I read this one years ago and really didn’t like it. It just had lots of things I’m not the biggest fan of in romance. I was curious about it being rereleased and wanted to get a better idea of the steam since I didn’t take notes the first read.
So this time, I did still have similar issues but I think I liked it more! I can like the miscommunication trope – especially when it adds angst to their relationship. But I didn’t find that it did that here, because they were still intimate with each other and it just wasn’t eating them up like I wanted it to 😆
I did get mildly annoyed with the villains again, but this go round I rather liked the ending. The sex between them was really light (I don’t know why it drives me so insane when anyone fucks before the mains….but it does!!! haha!) so not THAT bad…
But I can’t say I really liked either of these main characters and that’s where the book really suffered for me. I was just thinking both of them do things that make me scratch my head, or just be so frustrated with them. And something the hero does to the heroine...well I couldn’t come back from that.
So overall I liked this one more this time but it’s not a fave for me. But if you are in the mood for some London vampires I do encourage you to give it a go!
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 1
Average rating: 3 stars
Favorite book: This is my only book by Ann
Endearments
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Extra stuff like what my review breakdown means, where to find me, and book clubs
Old, mean, salty review from 2018
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖 (It was a bit easier to listen to on audio – but I was ready for this to end multiple times before it did)
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔 (I could have used some more background on both the mains but especially the hero)
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡(There was a bit but then they fell into each other pretty easily)
Romance: 💞💞💞 (There was some to me – but also both these characters did things I thought were very unromantic to each other and hurtful)
Sensuality: 💋💋💋 (the scenes were a bit...light? On the explicitness? They were average steamy...but missing something for me. Maybe a touch of emotional pull?)
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥 (ish)
Humor: Yes, a bit
Perspective: third person from both the hero and heroine, and also some from side characters (at least one)
More character focused or plot focused? plot
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: They at a ball together pretty soon in, but I think first real interaction is a bit later on (about 18% or so)
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes
Format: listened to audiobook from library (Hoopla)
Why I chose this book: I read it years ago and didn’t love it – but the author commented on a review post I had for it and said she was redoing the novel and hoped I would try it again. I decided to give a more detailed review and a second chance!
Mains cishet hero and heroine, M/F romance, vampire hero/human heroine
(Descriptions found at end of my review)
Should I read in order?
This is the first in Ann’s Scandals with Bite series.
Basic plot:
Angelica wants to be ruined in society for freedom, but Ian plans on following through with the wedding to help his reputation...
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency – 1821
- London setting
- paranormal historical – there is a secret society of vampires that live among the living
- vampire hero / human heroine
- compromised heroine
- miscommunication trope!
- author heroine
- duke hero
- child free HEA
- medium steam – there are a number of scenes, but they felt a touch light in description/length
Ages:
- hero is 224 years old but looks around 30, heroine is early 20s
First line:
“Ruined.” Angelica Winthrop tasted the word on her tongue and found it to be delicious.
My thoughts:
I read this one years ago and really didn’t like it. It just had lots of things I’m not the biggest fan of in romance. I was curious about it being rereleased and wanted to get a better idea of the steam since I didn’t take notes the first read.
So this time, I did still have similar issues but I think I liked it more! I can like the miscommunication trope – especially when it adds angst to their relationship. But I didn’t find that it did that here, because they were still intimate with each other and it just wasn’t eating them up like I wanted it to 😆
I did get mildly annoyed with the villains again, but this go round I rather liked the ending. The sex between them was really light (I don’t know why it drives me so insane when anyone fucks before the mains….but it does!!! haha!) so not THAT bad…
But I can’t say I really liked either of these main characters and that’s where the book really suffered for me. I was just thinking both of them do things that make me scratch my head, or just be so frustrated with them. And something the hero does to the heroine...well I couldn’t come back from that.
So overall I liked this one more this time but it’s not a fave for me. But if you are in the mood for some London vampires I do encourage you to give it a go!
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 1
Average rating: 3 stars
Favorite book: This is my only book by Ann
Endearments
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Extra stuff like what my review breakdown means, where to find me, and book clubs
Old, mean, salty review from 2018
June 1, 2013
5 Historical-Bitastic Stars
I absolutely loved this book. One of the main reasons: it kept me up all night.
Worth it.
It had all I could have hoped for in a story:
Strong Intelligent Heroine: Check
Sexy Victorian Vampire: Check
Murderous Intentions: Check
And of course, sexy times: Check
The premise is fairly simple; Angelica dreams of being a writer like Mary Shelly. The problem: quite a few actually. Society is the biggest obstacle, since this is Victorian England. Her mother is forcing her to marry, and marry well. She'd rather sit in a room and write. One day, she catches the eye of Lord Ian Aston. Little does he know, she's decided to ruin herself, to avoid marriage. And little does she know, he's an actual vampire.
Ian is currently hunting down another writer, who recently has published a work on vampires, which could expose his entire world. And thus begins the start of a truly engaging and romantic story. It was a really seamless blend of historical and paranormal romance. Angelica is a really refreshing character, and Ian is not an asshole. That's always a plus.
You should read this book, it's super fun.
I absolutely loved this book. One of the main reasons: it kept me up all night.
Worth it.
It had all I could have hoped for in a story:
Strong Intelligent Heroine: Check
Sexy Victorian Vampire: Check
Murderous Intentions: Check
And of course, sexy times: Check
The premise is fairly simple; Angelica dreams of being a writer like Mary Shelly. The problem: quite a few actually. Society is the biggest obstacle, since this is Victorian England. Her mother is forcing her to marry, and marry well. She'd rather sit in a room and write. One day, she catches the eye of Lord Ian Aston. Little does he know, she's decided to ruin herself, to avoid marriage. And little does she know, he's an actual vampire.
Ian is currently hunting down another writer, who recently has published a work on vampires, which could expose his entire world. And thus begins the start of a truly engaging and romantic story. It was a really seamless blend of historical and paranormal romance. Angelica is a really refreshing character, and Ian is not an asshole. That's always a plus.
You should read this book, it's super fun.
May 31, 2017
This was a cheese fondue!
It was so fluffy, ridiculous and dramatic and yet I really, really enjoyed it.
I was ready to give it four stars until
It's a shame, because the rest of it was quite well done. I even let the wording that usually puts me off, slide. eg. "secret place", "secret nub" and oh boy was there a lot of "velvet covered steel." o.O
I am very eager to get to Raf's book because he's legitimately going to be the best. I'm currently waiting for books two and three to come into my library so I can devour them.
3.5 Stars
It was so fluffy, ridiculous and dramatic and yet I really, really enjoyed it.
I was ready to give it four stars until
It's a shame, because the rest of it was quite well done. I even let the wording that usually puts me off, slide. eg. "secret place", "secret nub" and oh boy was there a lot of "velvet covered steel." o.O
I am very eager to get to Raf's book because he's legitimately going to be the best. I'm currently waiting for books two and three to come into my library so I can devour them.
3.5 Stars
November 18, 2015
I really enjoyed this paranormal historical romance.
Angelica was such an interesting character, and I liked that she refused to conform to society’s demands. Every time I read a historical romance, it blows my mind how women were treated back then.
Ian was just wonderful and very sexy. I loved the bantering between him and Angelica, and their romance was sweet.
His life had been bland and cheerless before she came into it, bringing light and laughter. He didn’t know how he would continue on without her.
The historical setting for this vampire romance was great.
The only part that sort of bothered me, was the fight Angelica and Ian had after they married. I expected and wanted more time to be given to this issue, but it felt as if it was slightly glossed over.
This was a good read, and I can’t wait to read the other books, especially Rafael’s book.
December 24, 2017
24/12 - I recently finished The Duchess Deal and that was silly, fluffy, funny and had fantastic dialogue. Before starting this one I had a glance at a couple of the reviews and saw it described in a similar way, but for me it was nowhere near up to the quality of Dare's book. Here, the silliness wasn't fluffy, funny and I didn't find the dialogue sparkled, instead it just felt immature. I got quite annoyed with the way Ann felt that the reader needed her to recap the story for us - go back over a previous conversation to explain to us why she was doing/thinking/saying something:
'He should have known she did not marry him with the intention to expose and destroy him with her writings, or even to become rich and titled. He now remembered what she had said when she'd announced her willingness to wed him and her confessions of her attempts to escape the match.
"I was not going to marry you at all! I have been doing everything I can to avoid it and I was going to run away!
"And just where were you planning to run to?" he'd accused.
"I was going to use the money I made from my stories to rent a flat somewhere in the city, and support myself with short stories until I finished a novel. I heard the lady who wrote Pride and Prejudice made one hundred forty pounds."
"That would not be enough to buy your pretty gowns."
"Gowns can go to the devil! Besides, they are not sensible garb for an author, I should say."'
That whole bolded section is a copy paste from earlier in the book and it's not the only instance of large chunks of dialogue being reused, as if Ann thought we'd forgotten what had been said earlier.
Then there were the editing mistakes I came across:
'Menservants performed a stately march to and fro' on page 175
'Every evening she spent absent from the Ian's side' on page 237
and so on and so forth in about four instances I noticed.
I also had major questions about the plot, specifically the vampires. They fly, but how? Do they zoom like Superman, or float across the sky in a standing position? Are there wings involved? Why do some of the vampires have different special abilities - mind reading etc.? Why did Ann decide all the female vampires must masquerade as men, to the extent of cutting their hair in the contemporary men's style? I know that it was explained as it being easier to for men to approach prostitutes and grab a quick meal, but why couldn't the female vampires pretend to be prostitutes? But then why doesn't Angelica have to do the same? Too many unanswered questions for me. I might consider reading another book in the series, but I won't be hunting for it.
'He should have known she did not marry him with the intention to expose and destroy him with her writings, or even to become rich and titled. He now remembered what she had said when she'd announced her willingness to wed him and her confessions of her attempts to escape the match.
"I was not going to marry you at all! I have been doing everything I can to avoid it and I was going to run away!
"And just where were you planning to run to?" he'd accused.
"I was going to use the money I made from my stories to rent a flat somewhere in the city, and support myself with short stories until I finished a novel. I heard the lady who wrote Pride and Prejudice made one hundred forty pounds."
"That would not be enough to buy your pretty gowns."
"Gowns can go to the devil! Besides, they are not sensible garb for an author, I should say."'
That whole bolded section is a copy paste from earlier in the book and it's not the only instance of large chunks of dialogue being reused, as if Ann thought we'd forgotten what had been said earlier.
Then there were the editing mistakes I came across:
'Menservants performed a stately march to and fro' on page 175
'Every evening she spent absent from the Ian's side' on page 237
and so on and so forth in about four instances I noticed.
I also had major questions about the plot, specifically the vampires. They fly, but how? Do they zoom like Superman, or float across the sky in a standing position? Are there wings involved? Why do some of the vampires have different special abilities - mind reading etc.? Why did Ann decide all the female vampires must masquerade as men, to the extent of cutting their hair in the contemporary men's style? I know that it was explained as it being easier to for men to approach prostitutes and grab a quick meal, but why couldn't the female vampires pretend to be prostitutes? But then why doesn't Angelica have to do the same? Too many unanswered questions for me. I might consider reading another book in the series, but I won't be hunting for it.
April 2, 2013
Available now!
This was a lot of fun. A historical with vampires!
Angelica wants to write gothic novels. She doesn't want to get married because she is sure that her husband, no matter who he is, wouldn't allow her to continue writing. She decides that being ruined would fix that. No one would want her and she can do as she wishes.
Ian Ashton, the Duke of Burnrath AND the Lord Vampire of London, has been around for centuries. He hangs out in London for several years, then pretends to go abroad to find a wife. He then returns to London decades later posing as his own son or grandson. He is incredibly annoyed when a poem, THE VAMPYRE, wreaks havoc with his life. The ton jumps on the vampire bandwagon and start to wonder why he is never seen in daylight.
When Angelica finds herself in a situation where she could be ruined, she is pleased. But then Ian comes to her "rescue" and saves her reputation by proposing, publicly. Ah, then the sparks fly! He figures that she'll help him to be seen as normal and her reputation will be saved.
There are many misunderstandings, and I could have done without a couple of them. But I did enjoy their interactions and their wedding night? Yeah...wowza...worth overlooking those couple of plot devices to read their first time.
I will definitely be watching for more from this author.
Thank you, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca, for giving me the opportunity to read BITE ME, YOUR GRACE.
This was a lot of fun. A historical with vampires!
Angelica wants to write gothic novels. She doesn't want to get married because she is sure that her husband, no matter who he is, wouldn't allow her to continue writing. She decides that being ruined would fix that. No one would want her and she can do as she wishes.
Ian Ashton, the Duke of Burnrath AND the Lord Vampire of London, has been around for centuries. He hangs out in London for several years, then pretends to go abroad to find a wife. He then returns to London decades later posing as his own son or grandson. He is incredibly annoyed when a poem, THE VAMPYRE, wreaks havoc with his life. The ton jumps on the vampire bandwagon and start to wonder why he is never seen in daylight.
When Angelica finds herself in a situation where she could be ruined, she is pleased. But then Ian comes to her "rescue" and saves her reputation by proposing, publicly. Ah, then the sparks fly! He figures that she'll help him to be seen as normal and her reputation will be saved.
There are many misunderstandings, and I could have done without a couple of them. But I did enjoy their interactions and their wedding night? Yeah...wowza...worth overlooking those couple of plot devices to read their first time.
I will definitely be watching for more from this author.
Thank you, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca, for giving me the opportunity to read BITE ME, YOUR GRACE.
August 2, 2015
**3.5 stars**
Bite Me, Your Grace was an interesting tale about a modern thinking woman named Angelica who is an author in a time when women weren't encouraged to use their intelligence. Angelica's love of writing got her into a lot of trouble with her mother, as she wants her daughter to make an advantageous match. One of the scrapes Angelica gets into, brings her to the attention of Ian, the Duke of Bunrath also known as the London's Lord of Vampires.
This story was quite entertaining. Ian has a very serious role as leader of his brethren and one of them is to protect the secret of their existence. Rumours were going around the town that Ian is a vampire. Angelica at first thought it was a great story and decides to investigate Ian's home to find clues. Angelica thinks she will find ghosts, but when she finds out that there is some truth behind it she is intrigued.
Things go from bad to worse with both of their reputations in tatters, so the couple decide to marry. Angelica and Ian struggle with their feelings for each other. Most of their troubles stem from a lack of communication.
I do admit to struggling in the first half of the story. There were multiple stories playing out which distracted me from the main plot. I was also not a fan of Angelica's mother or Grandfather. What her mother did should not have been quickly skimmed over and Angelica's reactions were not true to the character she had portrayed up to that point. I also don't like the way it is left unclear whether feeding is an intimate act. It is implied that the couple feel intimacy when Ian feeds from Angelica, but we don't know what he feels when feeding from others. He states from the beginning that feeding from her is not enough and he will have to feed from others as well. This reduced my enjoyment because at least once per night he would have his lips on someone else.
Overall, I liked this story but felt some things needed to be described better. This was my first read by this author and I will probably read more of her work in the future.
This review and more can be found at http://edgyreviews.com/
Bite Me, Your Grace was an interesting tale about a modern thinking woman named Angelica who is an author in a time when women weren't encouraged to use their intelligence. Angelica's love of writing got her into a lot of trouble with her mother, as she wants her daughter to make an advantageous match. One of the scrapes Angelica gets into, brings her to the attention of Ian, the Duke of Bunrath also known as the London's Lord of Vampires.
This story was quite entertaining. Ian has a very serious role as leader of his brethren and one of them is to protect the secret of their existence. Rumours were going around the town that Ian is a vampire. Angelica at first thought it was a great story and decides to investigate Ian's home to find clues. Angelica thinks she will find ghosts, but when she finds out that there is some truth behind it she is intrigued.
Things go from bad to worse with both of their reputations in tatters, so the couple decide to marry. Angelica and Ian struggle with their feelings for each other. Most of their troubles stem from a lack of communication.
I do admit to struggling in the first half of the story. There were multiple stories playing out which distracted me from the main plot. I was also not a fan of Angelica's mother or Grandfather. What her mother did should not have been quickly skimmed over and Angelica's reactions were not true to the character she had portrayed up to that point. I also don't like the way it is left unclear whether feeding is an intimate act. It is implied that the couple feel intimacy when Ian feeds from Angelica, but we don't know what he feels when feeding from others. He states from the beginning that feeding from her is not enough and he will have to feed from others as well. This reduced my enjoyment because at least once per night he would have his lips on someone else.
Overall, I liked this story but felt some things needed to be described better. This was my first read by this author and I will probably read more of her work in the future.
This review and more can be found at http://edgyreviews.com/
April 2, 2013
I recieved this book for review from SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca through Netgalley, in exchanged on an honest review.
Terrific, a wonderful bland of historical, romance and paranormal.
When a vampyre book comes out, it becomes all the rage in London and causes a vampire crazy and a major headache to the Lord Vampire of London, Ian Ashton. The lord becomes a major gossip within the society so he enlists in the help of Angelica , an inspiring author who has plans of her own.
Angelica wants nothing to do with marriage or Ian at first. Coming out to the society with every intention of ruining herself for the man of the ton, but her actions caused a reverse effect when in fact a few man decide they want to court her.
To write a good ghost story, Angelica decides to sneak into Lord Ian's mansion in the after hours, in hopes of encountering a ghost. What she never expected was to take a tumble down the stairs then be bitten by the vampire. Attraction sizzles, spark flies and the two end up in a marriage that is only attracted to their needs – if they could both keep their hearts guarded from the flames between the sheets.
Cute story. I loved the fact that the author took time to research the whole idea behind her plot and the people that were once involved. The supporting character John Polidori comes from history, and was the man who wrote the first vampyre novel that started the vampire crazy in London. It was interesting how the author took what she learned and implemented it into her plot and took it into her own hands to twist his disappearance.
I enjoyed this novel and enjoyed the characters very much. It was fun, interesting and an overall blast. Loved how Angelica went through the trouble of trying to ruin herself for the sake of her own independence in that day and age. All she wanted to do was become a famous Gothic writer and be acknowledge for her work and not under false name. I absolutely adored her kitten named Loki after the trickster god.
Ian was swoon worthy, dark and somewhat mysterious. It was a little hard to believe that a vampire his age did not have any other wives, or lovers he felt love for – but at the same time it made sense – considering he didn't go out in public much during day light.
Overall it was witty, fun and charming with it's own appeal. I cannot wait to get to know the other vampire's that were close to Ian!
Terrific, a wonderful bland of historical, romance and paranormal.
When a vampyre book comes out, it becomes all the rage in London and causes a vampire crazy and a major headache to the Lord Vampire of London, Ian Ashton. The lord becomes a major gossip within the society so he enlists in the help of Angelica , an inspiring author who has plans of her own.
Angelica wants nothing to do with marriage or Ian at first. Coming out to the society with every intention of ruining herself for the man of the ton, but her actions caused a reverse effect when in fact a few man decide they want to court her.
To write a good ghost story, Angelica decides to sneak into Lord Ian's mansion in the after hours, in hopes of encountering a ghost. What she never expected was to take a tumble down the stairs then be bitten by the vampire. Attraction sizzles, spark flies and the two end up in a marriage that is only attracted to their needs – if they could both keep their hearts guarded from the flames between the sheets.
Cute story. I loved the fact that the author took time to research the whole idea behind her plot and the people that were once involved. The supporting character John Polidori comes from history, and was the man who wrote the first vampyre novel that started the vampire crazy in London. It was interesting how the author took what she learned and implemented it into her plot and took it into her own hands to twist his disappearance.
I enjoyed this novel and enjoyed the characters very much. It was fun, interesting and an overall blast. Loved how Angelica went through the trouble of trying to ruin herself for the sake of her own independence in that day and age. All she wanted to do was become a famous Gothic writer and be acknowledge for her work and not under false name. I absolutely adored her kitten named Loki after the trickster god.
Ian was swoon worthy, dark and somewhat mysterious. It was a little hard to believe that a vampire his age did not have any other wives, or lovers he felt love for – but at the same time it made sense – considering he didn't go out in public much during day light.
Overall it was witty, fun and charming with it's own appeal. I cannot wait to get to know the other vampire's that were close to Ian!
March 2, 2013
This review also appears on my blog at http://www.thegoldenruleof666.blogspo...
I loved this book! So amazing! Bite Me, Your Grace is a delightful blend of hot paranormal vampires and lovely historical romance.
I though this was a very interesting idea. I liked how the paranormal elements were seamlessly fit into the historical setting. And I loved how the author based much of the story on a real poem: The Vampyre. I had high expectations for this book and they were all met.
Angelica was a fun character. She wants to be a writer. Since her mother doesn't approve, she wants to ruin herself so that she can be left to her writing use her dowry to support herself. And, thus, how she ends up in a vampire's path. She was hilarious. The situations that she would get herself had be in stitches. But, she was a genuinely clever, strong, and lovely character. Even when she was surrounded by vampires, she refused to let anyone trample over her. She was very likable and a character anyone could support.
Ian was just perfect. He was a sexy vampire and a hot lord. Seriously, what more could you ask for? I loved him. Not only was he incredibly attractive, but he was also very sweet, strong, and a true leader. He's impossible not to fall for.
Angelica and Ian were very sweet together. Misunderstandings kept that apart for a while, but they were reasonable about it, as well as forgiving-unlike in other romances. They also had their spicy moments, and those moments were HOT. Both sweet and spicy, they were an easy couple to support.
The plot of this book moves quickly and never drags. I was kept hooked the entire way and the thrills and secrets had me on the edge of my seat. The ending was so lovely-a completely sweet and perfect conclusion.
I loved Bite Me, Your Grace. This perfect is the perfect mix of paranormal and historical romance and one that I would recommend to any romance lover.
*Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for a copy!
I loved this book! So amazing! Bite Me, Your Grace is a delightful blend of hot paranormal vampires and lovely historical romance.
I though this was a very interesting idea. I liked how the paranormal elements were seamlessly fit into the historical setting. And I loved how the author based much of the story on a real poem: The Vampyre. I had high expectations for this book and they were all met.
Angelica was a fun character. She wants to be a writer. Since her mother doesn't approve, she wants to ruin herself so that she can be left to her writing use her dowry to support herself. And, thus, how she ends up in a vampire's path. She was hilarious. The situations that she would get herself had be in stitches. But, she was a genuinely clever, strong, and lovely character. Even when she was surrounded by vampires, she refused to let anyone trample over her. She was very likable and a character anyone could support.
Ian was just perfect. He was a sexy vampire and a hot lord. Seriously, what more could you ask for? I loved him. Not only was he incredibly attractive, but he was also very sweet, strong, and a true leader. He's impossible not to fall for.
Angelica and Ian were very sweet together. Misunderstandings kept that apart for a while, but they were reasonable about it, as well as forgiving-unlike in other romances. They also had their spicy moments, and those moments were HOT. Both sweet and spicy, they were an easy couple to support.
The plot of this book moves quickly and never drags. I was kept hooked the entire way and the thrills and secrets had me on the edge of my seat. The ending was so lovely-a completely sweet and perfect conclusion.
I loved Bite Me, Your Grace. This perfect is the perfect mix of paranormal and historical romance and one that I would recommend to any romance lover.
*Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for a copy!
April 3, 2015
I enjoy the blend of light, historical paranormal romance and was eager to also try a new to me author. I saw this one and thought it would do nicely. I had a good time and would definitely read more by the author.
The story has some obvious historical cues, but was engaging the way the focus was on the literary greats of the time through the interest of the heroine's eccentric and inflammatory tastes and her own strong need to write. I liked the inclusion of real historical figure Dr. John Polinori along with a few others brushing through in passing.
The vampire lore of this one was explained and had its own culture running alongside the human world. I liked how the author wove it in with the historical romance.
As to the plot and pacing, it was a gently paced story and a moderately engaging plot. There was sections of passive telling and not doing. It was light for the most part with only a couple spikes of danger or excitement. There were conflicts mostly early on between the heroine and her mother and then the heroine working to sabotage any marrying efforts. The biggest emotional conflict caused by the two main characters going incommunicado when the two wouldn't talk through their issues. For the most part, issues are dealt with rather quickly and I was glad of it because the heroine tended to be a youngish, impulsive sort that stirred things up.
The characters were likeable and they were fun together. I most enjoyed the courting moments when Angelica was doing her dead level best to break up the the pending marriage by doing every unsuitable thing she could think of while Ian proved that he was the man for her when he didn't mind all her eccentric starts and crazes. Their romance was a turbulent courtship, build up of passion and then figuring out how to live together. I found it refreshing that the author actually wrote a virgin who was convincing as a virgin on their wedding night.
All in all, I liked it and it was nice for a lazy day read. I would recommend it for those who enjoy a gentler story with some fun romps, a slightly spicy romance and a paranormal and historical setting with a goodly attention to detail and worldbuilding.
The story has some obvious historical cues, but was engaging the way the focus was on the literary greats of the time through the interest of the heroine's eccentric and inflammatory tastes and her own strong need to write. I liked the inclusion of real historical figure Dr. John Polinori along with a few others brushing through in passing.
The vampire lore of this one was explained and had its own culture running alongside the human world. I liked how the author wove it in with the historical romance.
As to the plot and pacing, it was a gently paced story and a moderately engaging plot. There was sections of passive telling and not doing. It was light for the most part with only a couple spikes of danger or excitement. There were conflicts mostly early on between the heroine and her mother and then the heroine working to sabotage any marrying efforts. The biggest emotional conflict caused by the two main characters going incommunicado when the two wouldn't talk through their issues. For the most part, issues are dealt with rather quickly and I was glad of it because the heroine tended to be a youngish, impulsive sort that stirred things up.
The characters were likeable and they were fun together. I most enjoyed the courting moments when Angelica was doing her dead level best to break up the the pending marriage by doing every unsuitable thing she could think of while Ian proved that he was the man for her when he didn't mind all her eccentric starts and crazes. Their romance was a turbulent courtship, build up of passion and then figuring out how to live together. I found it refreshing that the author actually wrote a virgin who was convincing as a virgin on their wedding night.
All in all, I liked it and it was nice for a lazy day read. I would recommend it for those who enjoy a gentler story with some fun romps, a slightly spicy romance and a paranormal and historical setting with a goodly attention to detail and worldbuilding.
June 8, 2013
I was hungry for a Regency Romance and found this jewel sitting on a Walmart book rack. It took me 1 day to read...it was so well written and so funny that I flew through the pages...........
When Miss Angelica Winthrop does a little after dark snooping at the prestigious Duke of Burnrath's London residence, it is in the hopes of discovering a ghost or two to add spice to the novel she is endeavoring to write. After all, such a Gothic house is sure to have a skeleton or more in it's closets, right? But what she stumbles upon is the deadly handsome Duke himself, a 240 year old vampire...and what's more is the nosh he places upon her neck before he finds that the little miss in his arms is the precocious heiress that the ton of London bets to see who will win her hand in marriage. Being caught alone with a man is ruinous to Angelica's reputation...and that's just fine with her. She does not want to be the broodmare for any man. What follows is an authors curiosity to find out all she can about a real vampire, and the vampires growing attachment to a vibrant innocent that haunts his every waking moment...what should he do with this girl, and how will she proceed when that devilishly sexy vampire sets his future in her hands? Laughter and tears, this glorious book has it all!
When Miss Angelica Winthrop does a little after dark snooping at the prestigious Duke of Burnrath's London residence, it is in the hopes of discovering a ghost or two to add spice to the novel she is endeavoring to write. After all, such a Gothic house is sure to have a skeleton or more in it's closets, right? But what she stumbles upon is the deadly handsome Duke himself, a 240 year old vampire...and what's more is the nosh he places upon her neck before he finds that the little miss in his arms is the precocious heiress that the ton of London bets to see who will win her hand in marriage. Being caught alone with a man is ruinous to Angelica's reputation...and that's just fine with her. She does not want to be the broodmare for any man. What follows is an authors curiosity to find out all she can about a real vampire, and the vampires growing attachment to a vibrant innocent that haunts his every waking moment...what should he do with this girl, and how will she proceed when that devilishly sexy vampire sets his future in her hands? Laughter and tears, this glorious book has it all!
December 14, 2013
What a really good book. I haven't read such a breezy book in a while.
Historical Regency with a Paranormal Vampire!
My!
I love it. This is the kind of books I have been looking for.
Angelica Winthrop is a fighter and true modern girl. All she wanted was to write and avoid being trapped in a world where woman have to be proper and dainty. She was opposed to all that. She fought for her freedom until she met Ian Ashton, the Lord Vampire of London and the Duke of Burnrath to the society.
And that's when the fun began! And the romance sparked and the fireworks lit the night! It was great and fun reading this book! You don't wanna miss this one. So looking forward to the second book in the series...
"One Bite Per Night" is Vincent Tremayne's book. He is the Lord Vampire of Cornwall. Another hot vamp. You'll meet him in this book, Ian's and Angelica's. I'm curious how far these stories could go or if we're going to see the time set journeys through and find ourself in the modern time. EXCITING. So many things could happen in the Historical Paranormal Romance books!
Historical Regency with a Paranormal Vampire!
My!
I love it. This is the kind of books I have been looking for.
Angelica Winthrop is a fighter and true modern girl. All she wanted was to write and avoid being trapped in a world where woman have to be proper and dainty. She was opposed to all that. She fought for her freedom until she met Ian Ashton, the Lord Vampire of London and the Duke of Burnrath to the society.
And that's when the fun began! And the romance sparked and the fireworks lit the night! It was great and fun reading this book! You don't wanna miss this one. So looking forward to the second book in the series...
"One Bite Per Night" is Vincent Tremayne's book. He is the Lord Vampire of Cornwall. Another hot vamp. You'll meet him in this book, Ian's and Angelica's. I'm curious how far these stories could go or if we're going to see the time set journeys through and find ourself in the modern time. EXCITING. So many things could happen in the Historical Paranormal Romance books!
April 10, 2013
The concept is interesting. The execution abysmal and Angelica is one of the least grounded characters I have EVER seen in a Regency/Georgian setting. The idea that Angelica could be intelligent enough to write two or more novels that are both well written, achieve fame and get her money and not understand that she must have some sort of male protection in her era. She is so out of place and immature that I wanted to scream.
January 27, 2013
First off an apology that it took so long to post my rating/review because I devoured this book fast. I loved this book. It was romantic and quirky and a lot of fun. The author writes with such heart. I can't wait for her next one!
May 26, 2013
By: Brooklyn Ann
Published By: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 4
Book Blog For: GMTA
Series: Bite Me, Your Grace #1
Review:
"Bite Me, Your Grace" By: Brooklyn Ann intriguing read of a 'Paranormal Romance Regency Historical Romance from London, 1821 setting. This was the first in its series for this author and it turned out to be a very good story especially if you love reading about vampires. We find that we have a 'fearless virgin' who wants a different like that her mother wants. Angelica wants to be a writer and feels if she marry that she will not be able to do this...she calls it a 'death sentence' so what does she do?... This "heroine discovers quite a few things that shake up her well-ordered view of the world – and she wouldn’t have it any other way." Now, this is when this story really gets interesting and I say you must pick up the read to see what all Angelica will do to be ruined. However, someone else comes to her 'rescue' and saves her reputation by proposing, publicly." Again, you will have to pick up 'Bite Me, Your Grace to see how this author will lay it all out to the reader. This was a interesting plot with a few twist and turns and well developed and colorful characters.
If you are a paranormal and historical reader that also enjoys vampires, romance and the 'Regency Era' with some humor, Bite Me, Your Grace would be recommended to you.
Published By: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 4
Book Blog For: GMTA
Series: Bite Me, Your Grace #1
Review:
"Bite Me, Your Grace" By: Brooklyn Ann intriguing read of a 'Paranormal Romance Regency Historical Romance from London, 1821 setting. This was the first in its series for this author and it turned out to be a very good story especially if you love reading about vampires. We find that we have a 'fearless virgin' who wants a different like that her mother wants. Angelica wants to be a writer and feels if she marry that she will not be able to do this...she calls it a 'death sentence' so what does she do?... This "heroine discovers quite a few things that shake up her well-ordered view of the world – and she wouldn’t have it any other way." Now, this is when this story really gets interesting and I say you must pick up the read to see what all Angelica will do to be ruined. However, someone else comes to her 'rescue' and saves her reputation by proposing, publicly." Again, you will have to pick up 'Bite Me, Your Grace to see how this author will lay it all out to the reader. This was a interesting plot with a few twist and turns and well developed and colorful characters.
If you are a paranormal and historical reader that also enjoys vampires, romance and the 'Regency Era' with some humor, Bite Me, Your Grace would be recommended to you.
April 28, 2015
This was a fun enjoyable read. If you like vampires and historical romance I think you would enjoy this story.
I really liked the heroine, she was strong, spunky and cheerful, despite her mother being a total bitch and her grandfather was a total jerk. The hero is a sexy vampire. He was more kind than arrogant. It was pretty funny when she asked him how old he was.. he's old. haha
They had some good chemistry together and really liked each other. There is a couple nice mildly written sex scenes.
I liked that she was an author of gothic novels and was not giving up on her dream to write. It was very hard to be an independent woman in the 1800's.
I thought the story line and plot were good. Different things happened in this story to keep you entertained. It wasn't just the typical constant misunderstanding and angst the whole way through. Don't get me wrong there was a misunderstanding and a little angst thankfully it just didn't last all the way through the entire book. That can be so annoying.
There was some good dialogue, I do wish there would have been a little bit more, but that's just my taste, the story was still good.
As soon as I finished this book I started the second book in the series, One Bite Per Night. I am enjoying it a lot.
Like I said if you like vampires and historical romance you will enjoy this book.
Bonus for me is I got this book a couple weeks or so ago and it was free that day. So definitely worth it!
I really liked the heroine, she was strong, spunky and cheerful, despite her mother being a total bitch and her grandfather was a total jerk. The hero is a sexy vampire. He was more kind than arrogant. It was pretty funny when she asked him how old he was.. he's old. haha
They had some good chemistry together and really liked each other. There is a couple nice mildly written sex scenes.
I liked that she was an author of gothic novels and was not giving up on her dream to write. It was very hard to be an independent woman in the 1800's.
I thought the story line and plot were good. Different things happened in this story to keep you entertained. It wasn't just the typical constant misunderstanding and angst the whole way through. Don't get me wrong there was a misunderstanding and a little angst thankfully it just didn't last all the way through the entire book. That can be so annoying.
There was some good dialogue, I do wish there would have been a little bit more, but that's just my taste, the story was still good.
As soon as I finished this book I started the second book in the series, One Bite Per Night. I am enjoying it a lot.
Like I said if you like vampires and historical romance you will enjoy this book.
Bonus for me is I got this book a couple weeks or so ago and it was free that day. So definitely worth it!
June 21, 2017
I don't usually like mixing Vampires and Werewolves with my historicals but I read Beth's review and I just couldn't help myself.
In the beginning, it took me a bit to get into the story, I like my historicals following a certain style of writing and characters and this wasn't it but once I kept reading it got more interesting.
Until it didn't.
Then I started getting bored BUT by then we'd crossed the 75% mark and honestly it wasn't as bad as I'm making it sound (completely unintentional) cause I didn't even think to DNF it.
I just wanted them to get to their HEA so that I could move on.
I know it's not much of a review but it's all I've got... *shrugs*
April 1, 2015
Bite Me, Your Grace was an alright read for me. It took me forever to get through this book because I found the pace of the book to be a bit slow for me. I was anticipating more action an romance but it felt lacking to me. I also started getting annoyed by the jumping around even though at the end it all ties together. For me, it just felt like a distraction from Angelica and Ians story.
Angelica is a rich girl who plans on breaking the social boundaries she's expected to adhere to. Instead of becoming a mother and wife, she wants to become a writer. She believes her gothic stories are her ticket to world travel. She basically idolizes Mary Shelley the author of Frankenstein. I felt Angelica was very similar to Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice in nearly every way. The only difference is that Angelica was suppose to be more physically appealing.
Ian, was not really a vampire that I cared for either way.He just seemed a bit flat and underdeveloped. He pretty much emphasized the pretty man stereotype lusting over a young lady.
I wanted to read this book because of the title and the interesting blurb, but I am disappointed it wasn't what I expected it to be. If your really into historical romances this may be the book for you.
Angelica is a rich girl who plans on breaking the social boundaries she's expected to adhere to. Instead of becoming a mother and wife, she wants to become a writer. She believes her gothic stories are her ticket to world travel. She basically idolizes Mary Shelley the author of Frankenstein. I felt Angelica was very similar to Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice in nearly every way. The only difference is that Angelica was suppose to be more physically appealing.
Ian, was not really a vampire that I cared for either way.He just seemed a bit flat and underdeveloped. He pretty much emphasized the pretty man stereotype lusting over a young lady.
I wanted to read this book because of the title and the interesting blurb, but I am disappointed it wasn't what I expected it to be. If your really into historical romances this may be the book for you.
May 24, 2013
lol! This was a really silly read... I mean *really* silly.
The heroine is silly, the hero is silly, their relationship... silly. Just... silly. The society they live in and their actions that move this plot along.. so, so silly.
I downloaded it to get me through a long drive and to take my mind of the stress of wedding planning. Totally worked. I kept rolling my eyes and laughing at the characters enough to check back in with life and appreciate how awesomely grounded everything is around me. Grounded and... not ridiculous.
I can't hate this book for what it isn't but I might hate myself for having finished it.
The heroine is silly, the hero is silly, their relationship... silly. Just... silly. The society they live in and their actions that move this plot along.. so, so silly.
I downloaded it to get me through a long drive and to take my mind of the stress of wedding planning. Totally worked. I kept rolling my eyes and laughing at the characters enough to check back in with life and appreciate how awesomely grounded everything is around me. Grounded and... not ridiculous.
I can't hate this book for what it isn't but I might hate myself for having finished it.
Want to read
March 31, 20153/1/15: Free on Amazon! http://www.amazon.com/Bite-Your-Grace...
March 24, 2013
Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.com/bo...
A fearless virgin and a reclusive duke sound interesting when paired together but throw in a vampire duke and a young woman determined to remain unmarried and willing to do anything to ensure she won’t, makes this book unique and fascinating.
It’s a great concept. Angela isn’t a simpering miss. She is well read, adventurous in spirit and fights the restraints that society puts upon her position. She doesn’t want to be married because to her, it’s a death sentence. It’s a guaranteed demise of all her hopes and dreams because what she wants isn’t what proper young ladies should even contemplate. In her own simple and naive way, Angela bucks the system and achieves some small success. It’s when things get out of control that the book gets interesting. The heroine discovers quite a few things that shake up her well-ordered view of the world – and she wouldn’t have it any other way. I liked how fearless she was at times, and how innocent she really is. That innocence will eventually be her undoing. Her growing love for Ian will propel her to change from a young girl in love to a woman willing to stand for and by her man. Her personal journey is ripe with amazing discoveries and adventures brought upon by external conflicts but the most growth is from her facing her internal conflicts. Angela comes out of the whole experience a much stronger person.
Ian is not a normal duke and his life is lived on two levels – ton by day, Lord of London at night. His skills are interesting and his bemusement over this lively and daring young lady that has turned his life upside down is fun to watch. A reader can see him slowly but surely fall in love with the heroine but he has that pesky nature that is inherent in all men – the ability to deny and deceive themselves about their real feelings. It will take a significant outside conflict to shake him up and drop the scales from his eyes.
I liked Angela and Ian and I thought they were well matched. What I wasn’t too fond of was the typical worn-out ploy of creating a conflict based on one party eavesdropping on the other and hearing something out of context that sets them up for, what I term, “unnecessary madness”. He’s clueless, she’s put out and they dance around each other’s emotions while trying to ‘fix’ something that neither knows how to because they don’t really know what is wrong. It sort of drove me barmy. Because men and women were not supposed to talk openly back in the day, I guess the conflict could be considered realistic to a degree but it still raised my ire.
There are two conflicts that basically intertwine and pester the relationship between Ian and Angela. One is fairly serious and does provide a nice amount of suspense and drama. The other would have benefitted from the same thing that would help Ian and Angela – talk, communicate. You know, take responsibility, step up and fight for what’s right instead of wallowing in worst case scenarios and let fear guide their actions. It’s the furtive nature of both – one of the secondary characters and indeed Angela -that made me sigh with exasperation. It all eventually turns out alright and I’m glad the author chose to end one of the conflicts the way she did. It was a twisted happy ending but it worked.
Rafe was interesting and I liked him. Despite the few things that didn’t ring my happy chimes in this tale, there is one amazing secondary character that the author introduced that I am actually looking forward to meeting again in any future books Ms. Ann writes – Lord Deveril. The author didn’t elaborate much beyond admitting he was another vampire and a recluse. It was his dialogue exchanges with Angela and Ian that fascinated me, hooked me and made me more than willing to read more stories written by Ms. Ann.
Overall, this author has a nice style of writing when the action focuses on the doing. The dramatic parts are tightly written and kept me engaged all the way through. Angela is amusing in her cheekiness and Ian is sexy and entertaining as he navigates his dual roles. There is much to recommend this book.
Bite Me, Your Grace is unique, adorable and provides a delightful way to spend an afternoon. It’s not heavy in dark drama, has a different spin on the typical historical romance and Ms. Ann has put her own personal twist on the vampire myth. I liked her interpretation. Also, the happily ever after is preceded by all the loose ends being tied up in a believable and satisfactory manner which I applaud. This is a good read and I am glad I had a chance to enjoy it.
A fearless virgin and a reclusive duke sound interesting when paired together but throw in a vampire duke and a young woman determined to remain unmarried and willing to do anything to ensure she won’t, makes this book unique and fascinating.
It’s a great concept. Angela isn’t a simpering miss. She is well read, adventurous in spirit and fights the restraints that society puts upon her position. She doesn’t want to be married because to her, it’s a death sentence. It’s a guaranteed demise of all her hopes and dreams because what she wants isn’t what proper young ladies should even contemplate. In her own simple and naive way, Angela bucks the system and achieves some small success. It’s when things get out of control that the book gets interesting. The heroine discovers quite a few things that shake up her well-ordered view of the world – and she wouldn’t have it any other way. I liked how fearless she was at times, and how innocent she really is. That innocence will eventually be her undoing. Her growing love for Ian will propel her to change from a young girl in love to a woman willing to stand for and by her man. Her personal journey is ripe with amazing discoveries and adventures brought upon by external conflicts but the most growth is from her facing her internal conflicts. Angela comes out of the whole experience a much stronger person.
Ian is not a normal duke and his life is lived on two levels – ton by day, Lord of London at night. His skills are interesting and his bemusement over this lively and daring young lady that has turned his life upside down is fun to watch. A reader can see him slowly but surely fall in love with the heroine but he has that pesky nature that is inherent in all men – the ability to deny and deceive themselves about their real feelings. It will take a significant outside conflict to shake him up and drop the scales from his eyes.
I liked Angela and Ian and I thought they were well matched. What I wasn’t too fond of was the typical worn-out ploy of creating a conflict based on one party eavesdropping on the other and hearing something out of context that sets them up for, what I term, “unnecessary madness”. He’s clueless, she’s put out and they dance around each other’s emotions while trying to ‘fix’ something that neither knows how to because they don’t really know what is wrong. It sort of drove me barmy. Because men and women were not supposed to talk openly back in the day, I guess the conflict could be considered realistic to a degree but it still raised my ire.
There are two conflicts that basically intertwine and pester the relationship between Ian and Angela. One is fairly serious and does provide a nice amount of suspense and drama. The other would have benefitted from the same thing that would help Ian and Angela – talk, communicate. You know, take responsibility, step up and fight for what’s right instead of wallowing in worst case scenarios and let fear guide their actions. It’s the furtive nature of both – one of the secondary characters and indeed Angela -that made me sigh with exasperation. It all eventually turns out alright and I’m glad the author chose to end one of the conflicts the way she did. It was a twisted happy ending but it worked.
Rafe was interesting and I liked him. Despite the few things that didn’t ring my happy chimes in this tale, there is one amazing secondary character that the author introduced that I am actually looking forward to meeting again in any future books Ms. Ann writes – Lord Deveril. The author didn’t elaborate much beyond admitting he was another vampire and a recluse. It was his dialogue exchanges with Angela and Ian that fascinated me, hooked me and made me more than willing to read more stories written by Ms. Ann.
Overall, this author has a nice style of writing when the action focuses on the doing. The dramatic parts are tightly written and kept me engaged all the way through. Angela is amusing in her cheekiness and Ian is sexy and entertaining as he navigates his dual roles. There is much to recommend this book.
Bite Me, Your Grace is unique, adorable and provides a delightful way to spend an afternoon. It’s not heavy in dark drama, has a different spin on the typical historical romance and Ms. Ann has put her own personal twist on the vampire myth. I liked her interpretation. Also, the happily ever after is preceded by all the loose ends being tied up in a believable and satisfactory manner which I applaud. This is a good read and I am glad I had a chance to enjoy it.
February 27, 2015
"A Popular Novel, a Determined Debutante, and a Vampire Hunter Threaten London's Lord of the Undead."
BITE ME YOUR GRACE by Brooklyn Ann is her debut novel and the first installment in her historical paranormal Scandals with Bite trilogy. What an awesome beginning! I absolutely love the unique way Brooklyn Ann delightfully meshes vampire lore into a Regency fun, sweet, spicy and hot romance. This is the story of the Lord Vampire of London, Ian Ashton and debutante Angelica Winthrop.
Our hero, Ian, the Duke of Burnrath, was widely suspected to be the vampire featured in Doctor Polidori's tale, The Vampyre, and had been fighting the rumors by attending balls, standing in front of mirrors and eating lots of garlic. Now... he wakes up to find an intruder in his home. He's hungry... and bites.
Our heroine, Angelica Winthrop, has always aspired to be a Gothic writer like Mary Shelley of Frankenstein fame. Angelica doesn't want to get married because she wants to write and is positive that any future husband would not allow her to continue writing. She despises the way women are marketed and married off within the ton. She decides that, if she's not pure, she could stay single forever and do what she wants to do.
Burnrath House, an Elizabethan mansion owned by Ian, the Duke of Burnrath, mesmerizes Angelica as she is positive that it's inhabited by ghosts and she really wants to write a good ghost story. So, in the name of research, she decides that she must check it out. Angelica never expected that she'd tumble down the stairs and be bitten by a real vampire when she's discovered there. Surprisingly, Angelica is thrilled as her reputation will now be ruined, for sure. But, Ian thwarts her plan by publicly proposing to her.
I loved both Angelica and Ian! Angelica was sweet and innocent and Ian was perfection personified. AND the two have chemistry and attraction galore! All I can say is long live dark, swoon worthy and sexy vampires like Ian! My favorite scene was their wedding night... Ooh La La! Oh, what a night!
Following please find a few of my favorite quotes:
“As she took her father’s arm and prepared to march down the aisle, Margaret called, “Do not forget what I told you about tonight.” How could I? Angelica thought as her mother’s lecture about the wedding night and the marriage bed flitted through her mind. “There will be incredible pain the first time, darling,” Margaret had said. “And you might bleed. But you must submit to him without complaint until you are pregnant with his heir. After that, he should leave you alone for the most part and fulfill his baser desires on a mistress.”
---
“His hands crept down to the bodice of her gown and he began to untie the laces. She gasped at the feel of his hands on such an intimate part of her body. She struggled and tried to shove him away. “What are you doing?” He stepped back and blinked. “What exactly did your mother tell you about what goes on between married couples behind closed doors?” She shuddered and pulled the fabric of the gown tight around her bodice. “She said you would hurt me very badly and that I would bleed.” Her eyes narrowed and her tone grew laced with hostility at such a horrific concept. “She said I must submit to you without complaint.” He cursed and Angelica flinched. “I suppose that explains why you’re an only child. Damn, I hate some of the traditions of this century. To keep a young woman in ignorance of one of the most important facts of life is… is a goddamned outrage!” He ran a hand through his hair and sat on the bed. “Sit down with me, Angel. You’re shaking so hard that I am afraid you will topple over to the floor.”
Brooklyn Ann has written a scintillating tale in an historical setting with well-developed characters that are realistic and captivating. Once I started BITE ME YOUR GRACE, I couldn't sleep until I'd finished it. This witty and fun story kept me enthralled all the way to the end. I highly recommend BITE ME, YOUR GRACE to anyone who enjoys well-written paranormal romances!
BITE ME YOUR GRACE by Brooklyn Ann is her debut novel and the first installment in her historical paranormal Scandals with Bite trilogy. What an awesome beginning! I absolutely love the unique way Brooklyn Ann delightfully meshes vampire lore into a Regency fun, sweet, spicy and hot romance. This is the story of the Lord Vampire of London, Ian Ashton and debutante Angelica Winthrop.
Our hero, Ian, the Duke of Burnrath, was widely suspected to be the vampire featured in Doctor Polidori's tale, The Vampyre, and had been fighting the rumors by attending balls, standing in front of mirrors and eating lots of garlic. Now... he wakes up to find an intruder in his home. He's hungry... and bites.
Our heroine, Angelica Winthrop, has always aspired to be a Gothic writer like Mary Shelley of Frankenstein fame. Angelica doesn't want to get married because she wants to write and is positive that any future husband would not allow her to continue writing. She despises the way women are marketed and married off within the ton. She decides that, if she's not pure, she could stay single forever and do what she wants to do.
Burnrath House, an Elizabethan mansion owned by Ian, the Duke of Burnrath, mesmerizes Angelica as she is positive that it's inhabited by ghosts and she really wants to write a good ghost story. So, in the name of research, she decides that she must check it out. Angelica never expected that she'd tumble down the stairs and be bitten by a real vampire when she's discovered there. Surprisingly, Angelica is thrilled as her reputation will now be ruined, for sure. But, Ian thwarts her plan by publicly proposing to her.
I loved both Angelica and Ian! Angelica was sweet and innocent and Ian was perfection personified. AND the two have chemistry and attraction galore! All I can say is long live dark, swoon worthy and sexy vampires like Ian! My favorite scene was their wedding night... Ooh La La! Oh, what a night!
Following please find a few of my favorite quotes:
“As she took her father’s arm and prepared to march down the aisle, Margaret called, “Do not forget what I told you about tonight.” How could I? Angelica thought as her mother’s lecture about the wedding night and the marriage bed flitted through her mind. “There will be incredible pain the first time, darling,” Margaret had said. “And you might bleed. But you must submit to him without complaint until you are pregnant with his heir. After that, he should leave you alone for the most part and fulfill his baser desires on a mistress.”
---
“His hands crept down to the bodice of her gown and he began to untie the laces. She gasped at the feel of his hands on such an intimate part of her body. She struggled and tried to shove him away. “What are you doing?” He stepped back and blinked. “What exactly did your mother tell you about what goes on between married couples behind closed doors?” She shuddered and pulled the fabric of the gown tight around her bodice. “She said you would hurt me very badly and that I would bleed.” Her eyes narrowed and her tone grew laced with hostility at such a horrific concept. “She said I must submit to you without complaint.” He cursed and Angelica flinched. “I suppose that explains why you’re an only child. Damn, I hate some of the traditions of this century. To keep a young woman in ignorance of one of the most important facts of life is… is a goddamned outrage!” He ran a hand through his hair and sat on the bed. “Sit down with me, Angel. You’re shaking so hard that I am afraid you will topple over to the floor.”
Brooklyn Ann has written a scintillating tale in an historical setting with well-developed characters that are realistic and captivating. Once I started BITE ME YOUR GRACE, I couldn't sleep until I'd finished it. This witty and fun story kept me enthralled all the way to the end. I highly recommend BITE ME, YOUR GRACE to anyone who enjoys well-written paranormal romances!
April 2, 2013
I liked the scenario of this story today; it's difficult nowadays to find a story about vampire that stand out or are revamped. I don't think it was the author's purpose. I think the author, Brooklyn Ann, made a good research to bring out her book of the lot with the characteristics of the real historical characters. This story is still in the ''cheesy'' category where the vampire is seen as a monster by society. He falls in love with the beautiful maiden, and of course, the innocent and naive Angelica falls for Ian Ashton, Duke of Burnrath, who is also the Lord Vampire of London.
The plot is typical, but again this kind of reading calms me and sometimes, even often, I like to read stories not too complicated, romantic with a predictable end. The pace was well defined with a few jolts to keep the reader hooked.
Angelica is not the childish kind, but sometime she took funny decision, which brought a lot to the story, but at the same time was a bit unrealistic. However, it never bothered me.
It is always nice to read about a character, Angelica Winthrop, who's also a writer. I like to see how the author perceives a character that practices the same art. Angelica has been struggling with her writing and publication, I wonder how this could be a projection of how Brooklyn Ann must have felt at some point of her life. Or maybe not at all!
Ian is grim and fierce. He doesn't let his true nature except at rare opportunity, which are kind of frightening for human around and we can get the picture of the ''monster'' that everyone is talking about: feeds on blood, powerful and can kill. His character was interesting and I liked his relationship with Angelica.
Description of the time both in terms of the era, but also with people mind and acting and the environment was very specific. Gossips, affairs, maiden, reputation...
I must admit that the historical aspect of this story is quite interesting, at the end of the book, the reader can even read about the real Polidori, who inspired the basis of this story.
Page Turner: Yes
Series: YES!
Stand Alone: Yes
Hotness: Ian is my kind of vampire!
Proserpine Recommendation: If you love to read Historical Romance and Paranormal Romance, this story is the perfect match between the two genres! A must-try! Boy-Borrow, TBR-pile!
The plot is typical, but again this kind of reading calms me and sometimes, even often, I like to read stories not too complicated, romantic with a predictable end. The pace was well defined with a few jolts to keep the reader hooked.
Angelica is not the childish kind, but sometime she took funny decision, which brought a lot to the story, but at the same time was a bit unrealistic. However, it never bothered me.
It is always nice to read about a character, Angelica Winthrop, who's also a writer. I like to see how the author perceives a character that practices the same art. Angelica has been struggling with her writing and publication, I wonder how this could be a projection of how Brooklyn Ann must have felt at some point of her life. Or maybe not at all!
Ian is grim and fierce. He doesn't let his true nature except at rare opportunity, which are kind of frightening for human around and we can get the picture of the ''monster'' that everyone is talking about: feeds on blood, powerful and can kill. His character was interesting and I liked his relationship with Angelica.
Description of the time both in terms of the era, but also with people mind and acting and the environment was very specific. Gossips, affairs, maiden, reputation...
I must admit that the historical aspect of this story is quite interesting, at the end of the book, the reader can even read about the real Polidori, who inspired the basis of this story.
Page Turner: Yes
Series: YES!
Stand Alone: Yes
Hotness: Ian is my kind of vampire!
Proserpine Recommendation: If you love to read Historical Romance and Paranormal Romance, this story is the perfect match between the two genres! A must-try! Boy-Borrow, TBR-pile!
October 31, 2013
Reviewed by Sarah L
Book provided by Netgalley
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
Bite Me, Your Grace was a delightful adventure involving an unconventional heroine and an even more unconventional hero who was not only a vampire but also the Lord Vampire of London. Vampires, romance, a kick butt heroine and a historical too boot? It sounded like the perfect recipe for a great read in my opinion.
Angelica Winthrop was determined to avoid marriage, write gothic novels and support the liberation of women. With her parents pressuring her to marry Ian, she embarked on a path of flaunting her unorthodox ways in front of him hoping he would change his mind about wanting to marry her. The back and forth banter between her and Ian was comical at times and while her mother disapproved of Angelica’s behavior, Ian encouraged her radical thinking. This made him a true hero in my opinion. Instead of trying to stifle and change her, he embraced the real person Angelica was.
This story was loaded with betrayal, miscommunication, action and adventure. While I would not say it was nail biting suspenseful, it definitely kept me fully engaged and I continued to turn each page eagerly wondering what misfortune was going to befall our couple next. As for the treachery by a member of Ian’s vampire team, I was very surprised by Angelica’s decision and have to admit that I do not necessarily agree. Personally, I do not think I would have been that nice.
All in all this was a great book that I read very quickly and recommend. I look forward to reading more by this author and cannot wait until the next book in this series is released.
Book provided by Netgalley
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
Bite Me, Your Grace was a delightful adventure involving an unconventional heroine and an even more unconventional hero who was not only a vampire but also the Lord Vampire of London. Vampires, romance, a kick butt heroine and a historical too boot? It sounded like the perfect recipe for a great read in my opinion.
Angelica Winthrop was determined to avoid marriage, write gothic novels and support the liberation of women. With her parents pressuring her to marry Ian, she embarked on a path of flaunting her unorthodox ways in front of him hoping he would change his mind about wanting to marry her. The back and forth banter between her and Ian was comical at times and while her mother disapproved of Angelica’s behavior, Ian encouraged her radical thinking. This made him a true hero in my opinion. Instead of trying to stifle and change her, he embraced the real person Angelica was.
This story was loaded with betrayal, miscommunication, action and adventure. While I would not say it was nail biting suspenseful, it definitely kept me fully engaged and I continued to turn each page eagerly wondering what misfortune was going to befall our couple next. As for the treachery by a member of Ian’s vampire team, I was very surprised by Angelica’s decision and have to admit that I do not necessarily agree. Personally, I do not think I would have been that nice.
All in all this was a great book that I read very quickly and recommend. I look forward to reading more by this author and cannot wait until the next book in this series is released.
November 2, 2019
Angélica es de todo menos una chica normal. Se supone que tiene que preocuparse por conseguir pretendientes, casarse pronto y tener un heredero. Pero lo único que le preocupa es escribir sus historias de fantasmas, reivindicar su independencia y evitar casarse. Pero cuando un mal momento la arruina a ella y a Ian, el conde vampiro, termina viéndose enredada en un matrimonio que no quiere... O si?
Esta opinión es posible que contenga spoilers, no estoy segura pero por si acaso aviso.
La historia está bien pero hay muchas cosas que me fallaron.
Se me ha hecho demasiado largo. Pero demasiado demasiado, la verdad es que se enrollaba como una persiana la autora y la historia no avanzaba.
La sinopsis también da a entender que Angélica entra varias veces en la casa de Ian, y eso es mentira, entra una vez y la descubre y ya está. No debería darse una idea equivocada.
Luego me dio mucha pena el hecho de que no puedan tener hijos. Eso es algo que me fastidió. Además que por momentos creí que si que consiguió embarazarla porque ella repitió un montón de veces hacia el final que estaba mareada y tenía náuseas y dije verás! Pero no 🙄
Y por último mi queja es para Rosetta. No sé cómo se le pudo perdonar toda la mierda que hizo, primero lo de Ian y luego lo de Angélica. A mi forma de ver han sido demasiado benevolentes con ella y con John.
En fin, que me he quejado mucho pero de todas formas la historia engancha. Se hace pesada por la extensión pero aún así te mantiene intrigada.
Esta opinión es posible que contenga spoilers, no estoy segura pero por si acaso aviso.
La historia está bien pero hay muchas cosas que me fallaron.
Se me ha hecho demasiado largo. Pero demasiado demasiado, la verdad es que se enrollaba como una persiana la autora y la historia no avanzaba.
La sinopsis también da a entender que Angélica entra varias veces en la casa de Ian, y eso es mentira, entra una vez y la descubre y ya está. No debería darse una idea equivocada.
Luego me dio mucha pena el hecho de que no puedan tener hijos. Eso es algo que me fastidió. Además que por momentos creí que si que consiguió embarazarla porque ella repitió un montón de veces hacia el final que estaba mareada y tenía náuseas y dije verás! Pero no 🙄
Y por último mi queja es para Rosetta. No sé cómo se le pudo perdonar toda la mierda que hizo, primero lo de Ian y luego lo de Angélica. A mi forma de ver han sido demasiado benevolentes con ella y con John.
En fin, que me he quejado mucho pero de todas formas la historia engancha. Se hace pesada por la extensión pero aún así te mantiene intrigada.
February 23, 2017
I can't even explain how excited I was to find this book. I love PNR and I really love historical romance. I was so sure this book was going straight to my favorites list. Not so much.
I love the concept. Vampires that exist peacefully and secretly among the ton. There are Lords of different cities in England (and other countries as well, I'm sure), all part of a vampire hierarchy. There are vampire hunters as well. These are all good things, they were just executed terribly.
The conflict is centered around Dr. Polidori and his newly published book about a vampire, sparking an interest around England in vampires. Now the actual vampires are worried about being discovered. One way for the vampire Lord of London to throw off suspicion of his vampirism is to take a mortal English bride. Plus, he wants to sleep with her. Win-win.
What didn't work for me was the lack of explanation of the vampire world. We learn only what Angelica asks. If she's not curious about it, we don't learn about it. And I had a lot of unanswered questions.
We learn that vampires also have random talents (such as flying and mind reading). Angelica was not surprised by any of them. Her responses to learning certain people had these traits basically translated into "Oh you can read my mind? Nifty! You can fly? Cool!" It was completely unbelievable. Especially for a woman in the early 19th century.
The romance was underwhelming. For some reason, Angelica's behavior and way of speaking reminded me of Alice from Alice in wonderland. She found wondering in everyhing little thing. Everything was fascinating. She loved defying expectation just for shit and giggles. She was always overly enthusiastic. She giggled a lot. Basically, she had this childlike wonder about everything, even sex. Anything childlike, even wonder, is not sexy. I would have believed she was 14 if her age was never mentioned. Which isn't that far off for 19th century England, but for this book, it just made me uncomfortable. She was incredibly immature. Her love of reading and writing books came off as an easy way to make her seem more mature so that a man that has been alive for centuries would find her more attractive than other beautiful women. Think Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Except she's 12.
I'm tempted to pick another from the series and try again. Sometimes the first book in a series, especially of a genre as different as this one, can take a book or two to establish itself. I think that was the most frustrating thing about this book. It had the potential to be amazing. I probably did myself a disservice going into this book with such high hopes. And if I'm honest, the first book in a romance series isn't usually my favorite. The more the characters have time to develop by appearing in each book, the more attached I get and more emotionally invested I become. I can't really recommend this book, but I'm not swearing off the whole series.
I love the concept. Vampires that exist peacefully and secretly among the ton. There are Lords of different cities in England (and other countries as well, I'm sure), all part of a vampire hierarchy. There are vampire hunters as well. These are all good things, they were just executed terribly.
The conflict is centered around Dr. Polidori and his newly published book about a vampire, sparking an interest around England in vampires. Now the actual vampires are worried about being discovered. One way for the vampire Lord of London to throw off suspicion of his vampirism is to take a mortal English bride. Plus, he wants to sleep with her. Win-win.
What didn't work for me was the lack of explanation of the vampire world. We learn only what Angelica asks. If she's not curious about it, we don't learn about it. And I had a lot of unanswered questions.
We learn that vampires also have random talents (such as flying and mind reading). Angelica was not surprised by any of them. Her responses to learning certain people had these traits basically translated into "Oh you can read my mind? Nifty! You can fly? Cool!" It was completely unbelievable. Especially for a woman in the early 19th century.
The romance was underwhelming. For some reason, Angelica's behavior and way of speaking reminded me of Alice from Alice in wonderland. She found wondering in everyhing little thing. Everything was fascinating. She loved defying expectation just for shit and giggles. She was always overly enthusiastic. She giggled a lot. Basically, she had this childlike wonder about everything, even sex. Anything childlike, even wonder, is not sexy. I would have believed she was 14 if her age was never mentioned. Which isn't that far off for 19th century England, but for this book, it just made me uncomfortable. She was incredibly immature. Her love of reading and writing books came off as an easy way to make her seem more mature so that a man that has been alive for centuries would find her more attractive than other beautiful women. Think Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Except she's 12.
I'm tempted to pick another from the series and try again. Sometimes the first book in a series, especially of a genre as different as this one, can take a book or two to establish itself. I think that was the most frustrating thing about this book. It had the potential to be amazing. I probably did myself a disservice going into this book with such high hopes. And if I'm honest, the first book in a romance series isn't usually my favorite. The more the characters have time to develop by appearing in each book, the more attached I get and more emotionally invested I become. I can't really recommend this book, but I'm not swearing off the whole series.
April 3, 2013
ARC courtesy of Sourcebooks Casablanca via Netgalley
Let me start by saying that I love historical romance and I love paranormal romance so when I read the synopsis for this book and saw that it combined both my loves I knew this was the book for me. This book has vampires, strong female heroine, and of course steamy romance. If you are like me what's not to love about this book. I have to say that I really liked Bite Me Your Grace. It was kind of cheesy but in a good way kind of like Dracula Dead and Loving It. I found my smiling at some of the silly antics and swooning at others.
Angelica is a granddaughter of an Earl and as such she is expected to marry in her station. Angelica wants to write Gothic horror stories like her idol Mary Shelly. That is just so gouache of a woman in her station, who ever heard of a free thinking woman. A woman that wants to break the chains of society. One day she breaks into her neighbor's house and Lord of Vampires and a Duke Ian catches her. Thinking she is a thief he bites her. Now Ian has a problem all of London already gossips that he is vampire and now his neighbor knows the truth. Since she is compromised he agrees to marry her.
Again I liked this book and some of Angelica's schemes to embarrass her finance made me smile and some laugh out loud. This book was funny at time, full of heart, and yes a little cheesy. I liked that Ian and Angelica were able to put their pride aside and realize that they love each other. There were times when I wanted to knock their heads together because they were so hard headed and being stupid. I don't know if this was supposed to be funny but the way word vampire and her love were so dramatic and silly that it made it laugh on more than one occasion.
In conclusion, I ended up really liking Bite Me Your Grace and stayed up late to finish it. I recommend to fans of historical romance and paranormal romance. This book looked like it was being set up for a series so I look forward to more tales of Ian's vampire friends. I give this book four very solid laser pistols.
Let me start by saying that I love historical romance and I love paranormal romance so when I read the synopsis for this book and saw that it combined both my loves I knew this was the book for me. This book has vampires, strong female heroine, and of course steamy romance. If you are like me what's not to love about this book. I have to say that I really liked Bite Me Your Grace. It was kind of cheesy but in a good way kind of like Dracula Dead and Loving It. I found my smiling at some of the silly antics and swooning at others.
Angelica is a granddaughter of an Earl and as such she is expected to marry in her station. Angelica wants to write Gothic horror stories like her idol Mary Shelly. That is just so gouache of a woman in her station, who ever heard of a free thinking woman. A woman that wants to break the chains of society. One day she breaks into her neighbor's house and Lord of Vampires and a Duke Ian catches her. Thinking she is a thief he bites her. Now Ian has a problem all of London already gossips that he is vampire and now his neighbor knows the truth. Since she is compromised he agrees to marry her.
Again I liked this book and some of Angelica's schemes to embarrass her finance made me smile and some laugh out loud. This book was funny at time, full of heart, and yes a little cheesy. I liked that Ian and Angelica were able to put their pride aside and realize that they love each other. There were times when I wanted to knock their heads together because they were so hard headed and being stupid. I don't know if this was supposed to be funny but the way word vampire and her love were so dramatic and silly that it made it laugh on more than one occasion.
In conclusion, I ended up really liking Bite Me Your Grace and stayed up late to finish it. I recommend to fans of historical romance and paranormal romance. This book looked like it was being set up for a series so I look forward to more tales of Ian's vampire friends. I give this book four very solid laser pistols.
October 21, 2013
Oh dear heavens what is this thing. Bite Me, Your Grace sounded so fun in concept. Society miss breaks into nobility's house on rumors that he's a monster. I'm pretty new to the historical romance scene. I like paranormal's, although typically I lean more urban fantasy then paranormal romance. So maybe the fault is with me because otherwise this book is a big box of problems.
The heroine, whose name I cannot remember but has "gypsy eyes" (meaning what? That they're brown? Or something nice and culturally icky like that she's wants to have her way with you because browner people do that?)is a determined minx but is really actually independent. So independent that she tries to get herself "ruined", only holding off because she realizes she'll be jeopardizing her controlling mothers relationship with her odious father. So she marries way, way up to a Duke who also a vampire. Not a nasty bad vampire, but a handsome perfect vampire who drinks blood the way other men drink alcohol. Whats-her-name writes stories of course, and they are easily published and have no real consequences for her. The plot was actually kind of fun in a campy sort of way until our lovers got married and any tension that there might be evaporated. Attempts are made to hold a readers interests with ridiculous misunderstandings that never get in the way of hot sex. At this point I just skimmed until the overwrought dialogue gave me the HEA I'd been expecting. What a waste of my time and space on my Kindle. Edit: The last statement was unfairly harsh. I did get a lot of entertainment out of reading this book, just not the way the author intended. Mentions of silver eyes and traitorous brides gave me plenty of giggles. If you want to read a bad book for laughs, this one might be up your alley.
The heroine, whose name I cannot remember but has "gypsy eyes" (meaning what? That they're brown? Or something nice and culturally icky like that she's wants to have her way with you because browner people do that?)is a determined minx but is really actually independent. So independent that she tries to get herself "ruined", only holding off because she realizes she'll be jeopardizing her controlling mothers relationship with her odious father. So she marries way, way up to a Duke who also a vampire. Not a nasty bad vampire, but a handsome perfect vampire who drinks blood the way other men drink alcohol. Whats-her-name writes stories of course, and they are easily published and have no real consequences for her. The plot was actually kind of fun in a campy sort of way until our lovers got married and any tension that there might be evaporated. Attempts are made to hold a readers interests with ridiculous misunderstandings that never get in the way of hot sex. At this point I just skimmed until the overwrought dialogue gave me the HEA I'd been expecting. What a waste of my time and space on my Kindle. Edit: The last statement was unfairly harsh. I did get a lot of entertainment out of reading this book, just not the way the author intended. Mentions of silver eyes and traitorous brides gave me plenty of giggles. If you want to read a bad book for laughs, this one might be up your alley.
October 16, 2016
A fun bit of fluff. Though the male protagonist of this story is a vampire, don't come into this expecting a dark and scary read. The tone of this book is light and sweet. Though Ian and Angelica is these potentially grave problems are completely resolved with ridiculous quickness and don't alter the breezy tone Ann affects throughout.
This book doesn't have a lot of depth to it in terms of plot, world building or characterization but if you go in ready for a light entertainment it's got charm. The premise is solid, Ian and Angelica are cool characters who have a fun relationship to read about, Ann writes good dialogue. I really enjoyed Angelica's attempts to repel Ian and how miserably they failed because he *gasp* actually wanted a bookish proto-feminist.
This book doesn't have a lot of depth to it in terms of plot, world building or characterization but if you go in ready for a light entertainment it's got charm. The premise is solid, Ian and Angelica are cool characters who have a fun relationship to read about, Ann writes good dialogue. I really enjoyed Angelica's attempts to repel Ian and how miserably they failed because he *gasp* actually wanted a bookish proto-feminist.
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