Once Bitten

Guardians of the Dark #2

by Bianca D'Arc

Danger stalks her, but an unexpected alliance with a sexy Spec Ops soldier could be the key to saving not just her life, but the safety of the world as we know it. She’s a cop, unprepared for what she finds in an abandoned building… When police officer Sarah Petit investigates a disturbance in an abandoned building, she expects to find a few underage drinkers. Instead, she’s attacked by creatures straight out of a horror movie. He’s a soldier, inescapably attracted to his latest recruit… Waking a week later in a hospital, Sarah is recruited by Special Forces soldier Captain Xavier Beauvoir. The so-called zombies who attacked Sarah are the result of military research gone terrifyingly wrong, and Sarah’s immunity to the virus makes her the perfect person to help Xavier eradicate them. But his smooth Cajun accent, whiskey-colored eyes, and dizzying kiss are risky to her in a very different way. Together, they’ll face danger, and find love… Sarah attracts danger like a magnet—and the smart, fearless cop attracts Xavier too, instilling a soul-deep need in him. Enlisting her aid is a necessary gamble, but vicious undead creatures are not the only enemy they face. And the only way to keep each other safe is to trust in an instant connection that could be their greatest strength—or the perfect way to destroy them both… Praise for Bianca D’Arc “…the story grabs you and then doesn't let you go.” – GoodReads reviewer on Once Bitten, Twice Dead “I thought it was very cool and creepy the way Bianca built her military world around the zombie outbreak... Very different! Nice job!” – Author Lisa Kessler on Once Bitten, Twice Dead “It is fast paced and full of action. One of the best I've read…” – Amazon reviewer on Once Bitten, Twice Dead “…what a great find! I like a touch of sci-fi-fantasy with a little science and romance mixed in. This was good for all three… Excellent read.” – Amazon reviewer on Once Bitten, Twice Dead Read the complete Guardians of the Dark 1. Simon Says 2. Once Bitten 3. Smoke on the Water 4. Night Shade 5. Shadow Play

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Zombies, Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy, Fiction, Contemporary

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 16, 2010

About the author

Bianca D'Arc is the USA Today bestselling author of over 100 romance titles. She has been published traditionally, by a few notable small presses, and indie. Before becoming a full-time writer, she ran a laboratory, a legal department, and jetted around the country on business while working for a Fortune 500 engineering firm.

Reviews

[Sydney M Neblett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better together

Is it horror? Is it PNR? Who cares! It’s absolutely fantastic! The author really took us on a wild ride with this book. Be prepared for zombies, evil scientists, dashing heroes, and strong ladies all brought together by fate. I love the characters and how they can survive on their own, but they do it so much better when they are together. The author kept me on my toes with twists and turns and sudden hints of more to come. I enjoyed every minute of the journey to the HEA, and I can’t wait to see how the next one goes.

[Debrac2014 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good zombie story! Flipped thru the numerous sex scenes!

[Lisa Kessler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never read a paranormal romance with zombies before! Wow!

I thought it was very cool and creepy the way Bianca built her military world around the zombie outbreak...

Very different! Nice job!

Lisa

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Sarah went down for the count, I thought she was done for. But waking up to Xavier was worth the pain, especially when she could use her skills for a much larger purpose.

[Tracy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Aw, man. I had such high hopes for this one. When a book is described as a "zombie romance" how can you not? I thought this was going to be really campy/sci-fi movie bad but it was just bad. Story: Sarah Petit is a police officer in New York who goes to an empty warehouse to investigate a "disturbance" and is attacked by a gang of zombies. She survives and it is discovered that she is one of the few people who are immune to the military invented disease that turns people into zombies. Enter the very handsome Green Beret who is also immune and asks Sarah to help him head up his top-secret covert mission to destroy all things zombies. Yeah, because that happenes.

First let's start with the cover, which I think is hysterical, but what a missed opportunity. Don't even get me started on the outfit. Well, OK, let's get started there. What cop DOESN'T wear a leather bustier and matching pants? And, hello, she's carrying a dagger. A dagger? For a zombie killing spree? Seriously? But how much better would this cover have been had Sarah's heaving bosom been groped by a leering zombie over her shoulder? Come on, that would've been gold.

Plot aside, because it's so bad and not worth discussing. There were only 4 zombie scenes in the whole book and only one of them was a good one. My biggest problem with this book was all the romance. I know it's called a zombie romance, but I wasn't expecting so MUCH of it. Geez. Now I like a good sex scene as much as the next girl, but when the hero is (and I'm quoting here) "spanking her clit and announcing "I've got what this greedy pussy needs!" " well, even I was a little grossed out. Ewwwww. Way too many sex scenes and waaaay too much really vulger dirty talk.

I've got to wonder how big the zombie romance market really is. A for originality, but don't waste your time, ladies.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for DARPA gone wrong and running amuck. (In this case Zombies & mad science).

As this is a Bianca story - much smut to be flipped past - but a fun story about trying to stop small testing outbreaks before it becomes a national problem.

Like popcorn tasty but not all that filling or nutritious. ;)

[Silke K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah was a police officer, patrolling the streets of Long Island.

Sarah was on a routine call to an abandoned building. She was a smart and skilled cop. She was armed and knew the risks. As she walked through the man floor of the building, she saw a person at the end of a hall. Seeing as he was limping and moaning she called an ambulance to the scene. Not knowing what she was getting into. Drugs, alcohol or mentally unstable. She also called for another car. As she moved closer to him his moaning and features became clearer. She was horrified and moved away a bit. She was attacked from behind by someone else! Fumbling to get away, she was knocked into the ground by the head then pinned to the ground and...bitten! She was not going to go down this way. She fought to get away. She staggered towards the door and was able to get by her car. One man followed her out, but stayed under the trees. Away from the direct sun? The other didn't leave the building. That was strange, why not follow her and finish her off? This was her last thought before she passed out.
Upon waking she was eager to find out what happened to those two men. She found out that not a few hours went by, but a whole week! That was insane. A strange and pushy looking Dr wanted her blood, but she refused. It was only her head that was hurt! He left when a nurse came in. A new line of people came into her room then. Certainly a full house now. She needed answers from someone. A very good looking man who seemed to be in charge was the ticket. Captain Xavier Beauvoir. A Green Beret! What does the military have to do with this? The good captain told the rest of the doctors to leave. Apparently, he knew more than the hospital knew. He knew about her bites, what she needed to know was happened to those guys who attacked her.

[Alejandra Guerrero · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was OK, but it felt way too long. The minimal plot would advance one step or two only to be completely stopped for yet another sex scene. I started skipping them after a while, they were kinda repetitive and just unnecessary. And so freaking long! Pages upon pages of them. Also, I hate the use of the word “cream” in that particular context, it makes me cringe.
Story-wise, there were a bunch of little inconsistencies, like at one point the bad guy says he doesn’t need fMC anymore, he has her blood and she can rot for all he cares, leaving her behind, only to come back for her and say she was too important to leave behind. There were some stupid decisions people wouldn’t make, especially not the unit in charge of a matter of national security, and especially not about the safety of the one member who got recently abducted. Like I don’t care if you want to go home, the guy who abducted you is on the loose and knows where you live. You’re staying at a safe house, because there isn’t enough manpower to safeguard your house. But nope, they let her go to her house, where the bad guy proceeds to get the better of a TRAINED green beret, because, of course we needed her abducted, how else would we get the bad guy? The author seemed to back herself into a corner in that regard, and didn’t know how to get out of there without making every character look stupid. And in the end the idiot got killed before they got any information out of him, so that plot point was completely unnecessary.
It was entertaining at first, but it became a bit of a chore after about 60%. It’s not bad, but it should have been much shorter.

[BookishDramas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was left half read by me because I had lost the hard copy on a flight and now nearly a decade and a half later, I got a copy and finished this loose thread.

A gripping mix of urban fantasy and paranormal romance that will pull readers into its dark, thrilling world. The story follows a woman who is turned into a vampire after a brutal attack. As she tries to adjust to her new, bloodthirsty life, she must navigate the complexities of her transformation while facing the dangers of a world she never knew existed.

D'Arc does a good job of balancing fast-paced action with moments of emotional depth. Sarah’s internal struggle—coming to terms with her vampire nature and grappling with her new identity—is relatable and well-explored. The romance that develops between Sarah and the Special Forces Captain, her love interest feels genuine, with strong chemistry that adds an extra layer of tension and intrigue to the plot.

While the vampire genre has its familiar tropes, D'Arc gives them a fresh spin by adding depth to the vampire society’s politics and hierarchies. The characters feel real, with their own motivations and complexities. Sarah’s journey from victim to empowered survivor is one of the book’s most compelling aspects.

In short, Once Bitten, Twice Dead is a satisfying, fast-paced read for fans of paranormal romance, filled with enough action, romance, and twists to keep you hooked until the very end.

[Glenna Kachtik · Rating 3 out of 5]

The idea of zombies was good. The idea that a police officer & a green beret would work together to combat them was good. That they would both be immune to these zombies & that they would work to bring down the guy responsible for creating the zombies was stellar.

Good suspense...good plot but it felt just held together with SEX. Lots of explicit SEX. Without the sex it would have been a shorter book.

[Daniela · Rating 4 out of 5]

(inglés). (Explícito). Estuvo bien, entretenido y tan cursi que me salté algunas escenas. Me interesó más Sam y la Dr. Sandra al final y un poco John Petit, el hermano de Sarah. Básicamente es combatir zoombies y tratar de que el experimento científico que salió mal no sea vendido como arma biológica. Estoy asumiendo que mágicamente los protagonistas serán inmunes y así.
Narrado en tercera persona.

[niki_reads_romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovin this series!

Ahhhh. I can’t get enough of this series! Xavier and Sarah’s story was full of smokin hot sex, wild action, and enough suspense to keep me on my toes. They worked together so well, with Sarah keeping her independence even when pared with such a dominant male. Well written and intriguing, I’m really looking forward to book 3!

[Alyssa's BookShelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the romance between Sarah and Xavier!!!
and the suspense in the book.
but I have been reading this book for a while because it has been in my libray for a whlie and I started it in 2023 but I wasn't getting into the book at the moment so I put it down and read something else and I wasn't sure I would DNF it because I wanted to try to read it again and I ended up finishing the book.
I wish there was more romance in the book with Sarah and Xavier.
it got better especially closer to the end of the book.

[CJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great rousing adventure! Really enjoying this series. I never read the original version as the titles and descriptions didn't sound appealing but this later updated version did and I am finding it to be quite fun!

[TinaMarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favorite genre, in fact I normally dislike zombie stories but it was suspensful and didn't totally turn me off

[Avey Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rated 4.5 stars

[Katherine Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

Like all of Biancia's books this one is well written with great characters. I will read the rest of the books in this series as i wait for more grizzly cove.

[Amber K · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is fantastic!!
The author did an excellent job writing and mixing zombie horror, evil villian and steamy romance. A definite page turner and I can't wait for more!!!

[Holly · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.75⭐️

[Marisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★★☆

[Christyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this a lot more than I did, in fact I may have settled for liking it period - the best I can say was that I didn't really hate it. This could because I had such high hopes for this and just felt disappointed by what we got. Point is I kind of regret spending the near 3 hours I did reading this book when there are so many other books I want to get too. The pacing is too slow (with a lot of unnecessary whining by the heroine), there isn't nearly enough action or zombies in it and it just didn't work for me.

Sarah isn't particularly the kind of character I thought she would be, and that I really wanted her to be. She has some self-esteem issues (this is normal) but it's the trust issues/male issues that were completely unfounded. There were times she went on about how males felt the need to 'shield' her and coddle her and how people underestimate her. But it was forced at best because her fears seemed mostly unfounded - not to mention not even a quarter into the book and she's all fatalistic about the currently nonexistent romantic relationship she has with Xavier about he's going to leave her when it's all over and break her heart, and I'm sitting here going huh? Truthfully - she annoyed the snot out of me. There was quite a bit of moaning over how she couldn't be with Xavier. As for her skills - I was not impressed. I mean were told she's this highly trained (trained in my opinion - nothing 'highly' about it) officer, and yet the only time she manages to do anything is in the first scene and when she has the dart gun. She does find some information during their 'investigation'. She fights back but it's ineffectual at best leading her to being saved by Mr. Perfect, Alpha-male Xavier. I expected a stronger heroine - not one that ends up having to constantly be saved. She does some but truthfully it could've been a lot better.

As for Mr. Perfect - Xavier, he's not only a uber-hot soldier, he's a genius with computers, heir to a (presumably wealthy) father who owns a company (dealing with computers), not to mention he is apparently a god in bed - oh and immune to the virus like Sarah. He is the perfect man, sensitive to Sarah's needs and desires, but not apparently a very good soldier. I don't get how he could have missed the trap at the house the first time, or how he could have let Sarah get grabbed (for that matter how she let herself get grabbed) especially as she was supposed to be right behind him. Not to mention losing the civilian girl that had been bit? All very sloppy. Oh and lets not forget the evil Sellars managing to get the drop on them both (and while Sarah was facing him at that) and how he was able to knock Xavier out and kidnap Sarah - again. Argh.

Don't even get me started on the zombies and the virus - it doesn't explain very well how the virus works and why only so few are immune? How long does it take for full infection to take effect if administered via experimentation rather than biting? As for the serum that may or may not help after someone is bitten - not enough information there either. There weren't nearly enough Zombies or people dying to really classify this as a true zombie book in my opinion. Seriously, no casualties beyond some nameless passerby's. And how did the whole football team get infected? I know some college kids are dumb but I'd think after the first couple were bitten on the rest would quickly figure somethings not quite right. And have you every seen a bunch of football jocks alone? I mean really alone? There are always people around - girlfriends, coaches, parents, etc.

Beyond that there were only a few zombie scenes and they were all relatively short. The sex scenes were longer and more elaborate then the zombie scenes. Another thing, how did the zombies suddenly acquire at least a modicum of cognitive function? I was under the impression at the beginning they had none? How would Sellars even be able to create something that gave them increasing cognitive function so that they were able to follow orders and even speak? Was it something that he had going on for a while (because I find it very hard to believe he managed it in a number of days?

I didn't like it, it may be different for another reader - but this wasn't for me.

[Sarah Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was given to me as a birthday present. There has been a mistake at a lab and instead of super soldiers, the scientist created zombies! Officer Sarah Petit was attacked while on patrol, and instead of turning she is one of the very, very few who is immune and she joins forces with the Green Berets to fight the infestation in her home town. There is a love story, here with Sarah and one of the Green Beret officers Xavier Beauvoir. I liked the story premise. My issue with the book is the sex. I'm not saying I had an issue with the sex itself, was it a little more unrealistic, vulgar and violent than my preference, yes but that wasn't my problem. This is a paranormal romance, I expected sex and even some rough sex, and unrealistic romance novel sex. Maybe my sex life has sucked for the past 18 years, but I have never had the sort of sex portrayed in romance novels, I've had good sex but not that connected OMG he kisses me and I come sex. I don't mind that is how it is portrayed. My problem was that the sex was a bigger part of the story than the story. D'Arc has a great storyline with the attempt to make super solider and ooops we made zombies. Its not a world wide epidemic yet, and it not a post apocalypse world. It was what would lead up to that unless they get it under control. I love that, I loved the science aspect and wish that had more detail. I wish there had been more investigation into culprits behind the scenes, expand on that criminal thriller aspect. I liked the fight scenes, and was disappointed that there were so few. I feel like if D'Arc had focused more on the storyline and a little less on the "amazing" sex that I could have rated this book higher.
For additional reviews please see my blog at www.adventuresofabibliophile.blogspot...

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

TO be honest its not looking like I'm going to finish this book. I picked it up on a whim and I'm kind of regretted I spent any time reading it when I have so many other books I've been wanting to read.

Why I dont like this book:
Sarah, is not all that likable. She seems to have self esteem problems as well as some unfounded (at least they are not explained all that well) trust issues as well as daddy issues. Cancel my subscription! I dont want any more of your issues!

Xavier, has the opposite problem, he is just to damn likable. There is nothing wrong with him. He's perfect. He has no committment issues, he decides he could commit to Sarah in less then 24 hours with no internal struggle. He's handsome, heir to a fortune, wicked smart (computer genius), special ops military with a rock hard body and treats women with respect and lets them do their thing with out going all alpha on them.

The plot line is just kind of lame. This book is supposed to have zombies in it, but you only get a few pages of zombies and a whole bunch of Sarah whining about why she cant be Xavier. I did a lot of eye rolling over Sarah's internal struggle and found myself annoyed often.

I havent even gotten to any sex scenes as of yet, but I read in another review that they were super cheesy, something about slapping on Sarah's "parts". That review did not make me want to rush to the "good parts". Leave the cheese for the crackers I'm going to eat later and out of my novels.

[Darcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't really hard much about this author, picked up the book to help complete a challenge, and man am I glad that I grabbed this one. The world that this book is set in is one much like we are used to, only the Navy has managed to create zombies while trying to create the ultimate soldier and the situation is slowly getting out of control.

In New York, Sarah encounters one of these zombies and is brought to the attention of the government as she is one of the few that are immune to the bite and they want her on their team to help fight as she is a cop too. Sarah is startled to find out that there really are zombies and from here the story ramps up like crazy. Sarah's government contact is a Green Beret named Xavier, and right from the start the sparks fly between the two of them. While they fight the zombies professionally they fight their attraction to each other too, but luckily for us they don't fight too hard which leads to some great scenes between the two of them.

We also get to the the government conspiracy and how things are getting set up for future books. I can't wait to get my hands on the next one seeing the commander fall hard, and also to see what will happen with John and Sam who hopefully will come into play in later books.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zombies. They are spreading. The author opens up the story for us by sending one of the highly trained, immune agents out to meet the female officer that has been bitten and survived the toxic bites. Expecting nothing more than an awesome electricity between the two main characters the author does not disappoint. Xavier and Sarah have a lot of work to do. And it has nothing to do with the attraction between them. They have to unravel why the zombie infestation is spreading in this small community, and why is it mutating? With special equipment and a working relationship that grows daily this story moves quickly and deadly. Bianca does justice with the romance in this paranormal book, and she won't leave you hanging with desire. You might, just might be wondering where your zombie-slaying-military-man is though.

[Carien · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a Paranormal Romance and usually I leave those to Voodoo Bride, but this one had zombies so I had to read it! And I can tell you it was a very satisfying read. The romance and action is nicely balanced and the zombies are my favourite kind: hungry for human flesh! There could have been a bit more zombie mayhem I thought (ok, I admit: it will be a strange day when I do not think so), but all in all the zombie storyline and the zombie action were cool and well written. Voodoo Bride really enjoyed the romantic storyline which was pretty smutty, but in a good way according to her so this was a great read for both of us. I will certainly read the next book in this series when it's released.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the book to be okay. I skimmed some sections more than read them. The zombie storyline is great and I like the action and grossness there however the romance didn't quite get me. I like more of a slow-build, will they/won't they vibe between my main characters. There needs to be time to get invested in them as people before they're a couple. In this case, they were making out within 24 hours and then in a very committed relationship in less than a week. Sure, the sex is hot but I wasn't convinced that the connection was real. Despite my complaints the book was just good enough to get me to read the next one. After seeing a bit of Matt Sykes here and there in the first two installments I'm definitely curious enough to see how his romance happens.

[Kelli Sprowls · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book a lot more than I actually did. The story itself wasn't too bad, but i wanted a zombie book, not a romance novel with some zombies in it. The sex scenes were too long and unnecessary, and turning what started as a strong female character into a typical damsel from a romance story who is rescued over and over by the perfect in every way(of course) male lead just made me mad. Even the way the author described the other characters in the story, so very romance and seemed obvious that the next book would involve them in a sex scene kind of way, probably a very long, several page sex scene that I would just skip like the overdone sex scenes in this book if i even bother with any others by this author.

[Ships · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sarah Petit is a police officer who is assigned to investigate an empty building that is probably just runaway kids, it's not!! She's attacked by flesh eating zombies, from a military experiment gone wrong, against all odds Sarah survives and finds she is just a tiny percentage of the population that are immune to being turned into a zombie when attacked. She wakes up in a military hospital where she meets one Captain Xavier Beavoir who has been assigned to investigate the attack. Sarah joins Xavier to do battle with these Zombies. You follow both their zombie & bedroom exploits. Contains Vanilla & light BDSM.

[Jess Dowd · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was disappointed in this one. I was hoping for a good zombie storyline, but the relationship between all of the characters felt so contrived and the dialog was almost like listening to my teenagers try to justify their actions. It just felt....juvenile. Sarah tried too hard at everything. Okay, so she's a cop and the only daughter in a family of military and cops....but, really, do we have to mention how she struggles with acceptance in every chapter? I get the point. And, yes, I understand Xavier is a Green Beret, so, obviously that means he has "training". But must we mention this over and over again? I'm a grown up, I can understand concepts after one explanation.