Find the vampire's next victim. Or be the vampire's next victim. Lenore has such a good time hanging out with Paul that she almost forgets he isn't her friend. He's a vampire. And she's his next victim-unless she's willing to find an alternative. But when Lenore gets cold feet during her first hunting expedition, Paul doesn't carry out his threat. He snags Sam for dinner instead, a young man they encounter on the ride home. And while Paul is receptive to Lenore's pleas to keep their new prisoner alive, his motives aren't entirely altruistic. Sure, Lenore's willing to die for Sam. The real question is, how long before she's willing to kill for him?
Elena Hearty graduated from the University of Virginia in Y2K with a BS in computer science. After that, she bought a house, got married, and had two children, all while working full time to ensure that your online and mobile experience is replete with banner ads and pop-up windows.
This was different than any other vampire story that I have read. I have had a review copy of this book for years and missed it when I fell behind. I decided to take a look at the story one night before bed and found it interesting enough to keep reading. I liked the story and found it to be very unique.
Lenore belongs to Paul. Paul is a vampire and he needs for Lenore to help him find his next victim unless she would like to be his next meal. Things don't go well on their first quest for a new victim but Paul does find someone to bring home, no thanks to Lenore. The new victim, Sam, seems to get under Lenore's skin and she feels responsible for him.
I liked that the vampire world in this book is different. The two vampires that we meet in this story are not sexy and they are really only worried about their own needs. People are to be used as food and murder is a sport. Lenore has stayed alive with them for a while but it is no secret that the plan is to kill her at some point in the future. At times, Paul treats Lenore almost like a friend but he still thinks about how he will end her life.
I didn't fall in love with the characters but they held my interest. There is a lot of psychological play in this story and I couldn't imagine living without any control over my own life like Lenore has for the past several months. Paul seemed like a good guy at times where Richard didn't hold back. I did like the bond that Lenore and Sam formed. There are some pretty violent scenes in the book which kept things interesting.
I do think that fans of dark vampire stories would enjoy this book. Although it is not listed as such, it appears that this is the second book in a series but it read fine as a stand-alone story. I would definitely give this author's work a try again in the future.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Samhain Publishing via NetGalley.
Initial Thoughts This was different than any vampire story that I have read before. Lenore is being held by Paul, a vampire, but she also considers him to be her friend. A friend that wants to kill her someday but a friend nonetheless. Her task is to help Paul find his next meal but can she do it? This is a darker book filled with unhealthy relationships. It isn't listed as being a part of a series but it appears that this is actually the sequel to Donor and the events from that book are frequently discussed so it might have been better to read that one first. I am glad that I finally gave this one a try.
I received this book from library thing for a review. I will first say what I liked about this book: 1. I loved the playful banter that went on between the characters. I don’t know if it’s my love of classical literature wit but I love when the author is able to make the characters have meaningful but amusing conversations. 2. The ups and downs of Paul and Lenore’s association that showed the real complexity of a relationship. I really have been put off sometimes with some books lately and the constant meant to be together or the relationships just work themselves out somehow miraculously in the end. The author was able to realistically capture the complexities of a relationship and how there are many ups and downs that can damage or strengthen a friendship. 3. Strong but sometimes not so strong female heroine. I was definitely drawn to the female heroine in this story because she wasn’t always this tough as nails person. I liked that the author showed she wasn’t always sure of herself and had vulnerabilities but at the end of the day could still be the tough as nails person that could save the day. 4. The pace of the story. I can never stress this enough but sometimes the pace of the story can make or break it. She kept you intrigued and was able to keep the pace moderate enough that you weren’t getting bored with it but not fast enough that you were overwhelmed with it. 5. Vampires that actually acted like vampires. I won’t say I didn’t read and like Twilight but I liked seeing vampire characters that acted and were portrayed for what they are…predators. There were only a couple things I did not like about it: 1. Some of the characters felt a little underdeveloped. She did throw you a little bit into the middle of an already budding contract between Lenore and Paul and I didn’t feel I was given as much background as I needed to fully get some of the complexities of their personalities. The character Sam as well is seen in small snippets and I found myself not really caring about whether he lived or died because I did not really get to know him all that well. 2. A bit of an unresolved ending. I won’t say much on this because I don’t want to spoil what happens but I feel as though the ending was a little too unresolved for my liking. I’m not sure if she is planning on writing a sequel or not (which I hope she is) but I would have liked a little more certainty about what might happen to the characters in the end.
*I received a free copy to read & review for Wicked Reads*
Bait wasn't your "normal" paranormal, vampire story full of gore and/or gruesome violence. Instead this is more of a cerebral story based on the interactions between Vampire buddies -Paul and Richard, along with "pet" Lenore. I felt a bit detached from the story, much of it was told instead of shown, but ultimately I had to know how it ended.
Lenore was once pet to Richard, but escapes him and befriends Paul - they really do get along, but a friend isn't all he needs. He needs a means to seduce his next meal, a problem occurs when his friend/Bait connects with his meal...
When Lenore first found herself backed into a corner — when her mother was slowly dying of cancer —, she sort of gave up on life. Cut her ties to her friends, became a shut-in, an addict.
A few years later, she finds herself in a brand new corner: a vampires’ basement. And this time, oh boy, this time she turns out to be a fighter. Because a good ending may be improbable, but it won’t become impossible until, well — until it does. And that’ll happen a lot faster if she just gives up on it.
Luckily for Lenore, she’s an addict. Xanax keeps her sedated through the rough beginning, and the eventual withdrawal keeps her occupied for another while.
Luckily for Lenore, she’s an experienced shut-in. She doesn’t want to be shut in a vampires’ basement, but had she been an outdoorsy sort of person, she’d have had a harder time staying sane. Sane-ish.
Luckily for Lenore, she hasn’t had any friends in years. She’s contact-starved. That makes it easier to interact with her captors, and they appreciate that. They’ve been lonely, too. And bored. So bored.
Less luckily for Lenore, they’re also sometimes prone to hunger, and as we know from that Snickers commercial, people aren’t themselves when they’re hungry.
“He was hungry when he did this. He wasn’t himself.” “No.” Sam shook his head. “People are never not themselves. You are—by definition—always yourself. And your boy Paul’s got a bit of a mean streak.“
Less luckily for Lenore, her captors are too happy to be themselves when they’re hungry. They enjoy themselves. They like to play with their food, make its heart jump in fear, tear it apart and listen to the agonized cries.
So the task is simple: Lenore has to be more enjoyable alive than dead. Not for forever; just long enough for an opportunity to escape to present itself.
But of course, escaping abusive relationships is never easy.
Amazing story! I've been a fan of Hearty since I first read Donor years back, and this book has just as much of what I loved about the first one! I'm not a professional reviewer, so I don't have the perfect words to describe why I gave this 5 stars, but I want more people to read it so here goes.
First off, the premise is still so perfectly eerie. I enjoy the way Hearty can mix such mundane things as Paul and Rich dealing with renovation costs in with graphic talks of murder and detailed body disposal procedures. The dialogue in this series feels so natural, and it really draws you into believing the characters could exist in real life (if anything, the bigger emphasis on the apartment themselves in the sequel made this even better!).
I loved all the characters in Book 1 and that hasn't changed! Paul gets like 150% more creepy scenes in this one, but I kind of see Book 1 as Richard's time in the spotlight and Book 2 as Paul's. And Paul's manipulative nature is just so intriguing to watch play out in itself. I always enjoy the immense depth of Lenore, but I can honestly say I could rarely predict what side of Paul I would see and when the vicious part of him would come out, and that made him feel SO much more dangerous.
I will also say, in full honesty, that the paragraph that seemed to hint (at least for me) at Lenore having my sexuality turned the book from great to making me smile so wide. I don't even care if it's a misinterpretation of her past relationship. 16 Stars. Lock your laundry room doors, kids.
This book starts excellently, hooking you with the dark humour from the word go. It actually took me quite a while to realise that this book was a sequel - which goes to show that the author carefully filled in the gaps.
I can't really overplay how funny this book was though, I had to stop to explain to my company why I was smiling to myself - oddly enough 'that really is Charles' head in the freezer' doesn't translate well as a reason for chuckling.
What I loved about this book and didn't realise I was craving so much was the depth of characters - most of this story was about the inner workings of Lenore and the way she interacts with the other characters. It took place over about 3 different locations and had a wonderful claustrophobic feel while she was trapped in the apartment building with her captors/best friends but you didn't really feel that it lacked any interest.
That said, I did get the feeling somewhere around the middle that the author was covering the same ground - that she'd listened to her characters bicker a little bit too much in her head and forgotten to edit out some of their repeated conversations (I know you author types - don't try telling me your imaginary friends don't repeat themselves!).
Lenore is brave and a survivor by nature, though she is by no means tough or perfect - she has an addiction to Xanax and has been deeply traumatised by everything that's happened to her since being taken captive, however it's clear that her life wasn't exactly wonderful before then either so her ability to cope with a bad situation is probably better than that of folk with the rose tinted glasses.
I would be fascinated to read some of this story from Paul's perspective, it's impossible to tell how much empathy he actually has for humans and how much of it is put on for the sake of manipulating them and toying them before eating. I like to think that he has genuine feelings for Lenore, however there's no way to be sure as he seems to lie so easily to his other friends to get his way.
It all picked up again nearer the end after an interesting revelation then a good old fashioned inferno that no amount of asbestos could overcome to the point that I'm desperately hoping that Hearty will be releasing number 3 of her series in the forseeable future!
I loved the first book in this series – Donor – and wondered whether the author would be able to continue the momentum she had created there. It turns out she can. Bait carries on Lenore and Paul’s story brilliantly. Paul is a vampire, but if you think you’ve heard it all before, think again. I like the originality of the character Elena Hearty has created. Lenore is a seriously messed up young woman, addicted to cigarettes and Xanax. She has low self-worth, but as the story progresses, the arrival of a new character – Sam – serves to fire up a new resolve in her and reminds her that although Paul may seem to be her friend, he is still capable of turning on her at any time he chooses, as indeed can his partner in crime, Richard. She is still their prisoner. For Sam, the situation is even worse, as his fate is already sealed and Lenore knows it.
The fact that Lenore’s role is to enable Paul to find his next victim appalls her, but if she fails to do that, how long will it be before she finds herself once again on the menu?
The tension and suspense starts on page one and the author does a great job in maintaining the pace and holding the reader’s attention for the entire book. The relationship between Lenore and Paul – while complex – is fascinating. Strong on dialogue, as was Donor, I felt thoroughly engaged in the plot for the entire story. Bait also works well as a standalone novel for any reader who hasn’t first read Donor, but I would recommend reading them both simply because the continuing story is so enjoyable. Elena Hearty is now firmly established on my list of ‘must read’ authors.
disclaimer – i received a copy of this book via samhain publishing, ltd. in exchange for an honest review.
paul’s a vampire and lenore is his…well, she’s supposed to be the one who fetches his meals. lenore can’t bring herself to do it, though, and when the two run into sam that failing becomes crystal clear. and more dangerous for lenore and ultimately for sam.
i never really clicked with bait. i spent the majority of the book wondering if i had missed something. if i had gotten the full text. i even went back and checked page numbers several times. when i wasn’t wondering that, i was wishing that paul would just eat lenore already because i was so tired of her whining and crying. i never connected with any of the characters, actually, and finished the book out of obligation not a need to see how it was all going to come out.
there was a lot of talk in bait but no real action. vampires are best when they’re evil and bitey. there are times when a vampire can be funny and snarky and still be captivatingly evil but, unfortunately, elena hearty‘s vampires never reach that golden ratio.
This book was a fun read, which, frankly, I'm surprised to hear myself say. I won both this book and its prequel ("Donor") in a book giveaway, and I didn't like "Donor" that much. But I really enjoyed "Bait". The relationship between Lenore--a smart-alecky, agoraphobic human--and Paul--the vampire who holds her hostage--is a rollercoaster ride, going from a weird sibling state to I-going-to-eat-you scary to moments where they each stand in the others shoes and can't blame the other for the hurtful thing he/she is doing. And I found myself laughing when things were scary and feeling sorry for Paul sometimes when Lenore was at his mercy. Which in my book, is a good thing. I think this mix of emotions (and plot complexity) was missing in "Donor" because Rich--Paul's much more sadistic and antisocial vampire partner--was more of a main character than Paul.
There was a part at the end where I thought Rich went, conveniently, a little too easy on Lenore, and at times the book felt too dialogue heavy. But with the twist at the end of "Bait", I'll be looking forward to reading Book #3.
I received my copy of Bait from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.
After finishing Donor by the same author, I was all too happy to dive right in to Bait, and I was not disappointed. Bait picks up right where Donor left off, and is at least as good as the previous book, if not better. Like its predecessor, Bait impressed me in its portrayal of vampires. While the author makes them likable, she also doesn't romanticize them. The heroine also continues to be wonderfully flawed and very human, making her interesting to read about and easy to root for. The addition of the character Sam was also an interesting one, and should the author make another book following him, I for one would be more than happy to give that a read as well.
Overall, another great read by Elena Hearty. Vampire lovers, new and old, I definitely recommend both Bait and Donor.
Elena Hearty has created a new vampire hero. Paul is the type of vampire that has women leaving their bedroom windows open for. I loved every word of this book. The characters are believable, especially Lenore's dialogues with herself as she faces decisions that no one should ever face. I will definitely be waiting for book three to be published.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review Another entertaining installment in the series. You really feel for Lenore who is caught in an untenable situation. There is more great banter between the characters which helps conceal the ever present threat of death always looming above Lenore. Great characters. Great plot. A solid 3.5 stars.