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Argeneau #35

After the Bite

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The Argeneaus are back!

Immortal Enforcer Valerian just wants to relax. His last assignment had been more grueling than he'd care to admit, and golf has always helped him unwind. If golf course owner Natalie thinks it's a little odd for him to tee off at sunset every evening, she's keeping it to herself. The single mom is sexy as hell, and her little daughter Mia only adds to his delight. He knows Natalie is wary of a relationship of any kind...what will she think when she discovers he's an Immortal? His best course of action is to woo her the old-fashioned way.

But the course of true love never did run smooth--especially for a vampire and a mortal. And when danger stalks Natalie, Valerian realizes he's playing a game of life and death and if he loses this round, he risks losing her forever.

400 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 27, 2022

393 people are currently reading
5186 people want to read

About the author

Lynsay Sands

124 books12.2k followers
LYNSAY SANDS is the nationally bestselling author who is known for her hysterical historicals as well as the popular Argeneau/Rogue Hunter vampire series. With her witty and charming personality, Sands describes books as, “Waking dreams or stories, tales to amuse, entertain and distract us from everyday life.” She’s been writing stories since grade school and considers herself incredibly lucky to be able to make a career out of it. Her hope is that readers can get away from their everyday stress through her stories, and if there are occasional uncontrollable fits of laughter, that’s just a big bonus. Visit her official website at www.lynsaysands.net.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 417 reviews
Profile Image for Ꮗ€♫◗☿ ❤️ ilikebooksbest.com ❤️.
2,939 reviews2,673 followers
July 20, 2023
The Angel-Maker!



The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💚🖤💙💜❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘📔
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌍🌏
Character development: 😤😥😊🤩😘

The heroine: Natalie - she is the owner of a golf course and clubhouse in Canada. Natalie has a two year old daughter, Mia and a huge Great Pyrenees dog named Sinbad. She went through a tragedy in her life not long before her daughter was born and is running herself ragged trying to save up enough money for a new clubhouse with an attached apartment for herself and Mia, rather than the dingy basement they now live in. She is 5’3” and weighs only 95 pounds.

The Hero: Valerian - he is an immortal who has lived over two hundred years. He now works as an enforcer for Garrett Mortimer’s team, going after rogue immortals who feed from humans. Though his team had been focusing on a rogue vampire/serial killer whom the press had dubbed The Angel-Maker for the way he posed the women he killed and drained of blood in snow angels he created. Though they haven’t found any trace of the killer since it is now summer.

The Story: Valerian loves to golf in his free time. His family owns a bunch of golf courses and he loves the game, though being an immortal, the only time he can go is at dusk. Since renovating a nearby farmhouse he has been golfing nearly every night at Natalie’s golf course. The first time Valerian meets Natalie he knows she is his life mate.

I have liked all the Argeneau novels I have read so far, some more than others, and I do tend to read more of the ones where the male is the immortal (which is just how I roll). I also like them best when the woman is just a normal woman from outside the immortal world. So this one hit all my buttons, to top it off, Lynsay Sands is starting to have some really good villains included in the stories, and the angel-maker is a good one. A rogue but also a serial killer, with a signature or calling card.

I also liked how the serial killer storyline was a major plot in the book, in some of the other books in this series, there has been villains that are mentioned a few times, then most of the book is about the romance and immortals but the action doesn’t come up again till the very end. This one had romance throughout and the story was very good and funny at times.

Natalie scowled at him, but then admitted, “my manpicker must be broken.”
“Your what?” Tybo asked on a disbelieving laugh.
“My manpicker,” she repeated with a glare, and then said, “My guydar.”


I really liked both characters in this book. Especially Natalie since she had been through a terrible tragedy but wasn’t broken like in a lot of books. She had been through three years of therapy and is coming out the other side after dealing with her issues in a healthy way. Though she is a workaholic and definitely type ‘A’ personality when it comes to work, she is not an overbearing feminist or anything like that, she is tiny and soft on the inside yet has an inner strength that I really liked in a female character. Valerian was handsome, hot and a protective Hero. I think this might be the best Argeneau book yet.

I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

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Profile Image for Lover of Romance.
3,712 reviews1,122 followers
September 12, 2022
After the Bite is the 35th installment in the Argeneau series by Lynsay Sands. I am always excited for when we get more of this world, and I adore long series like this and these books are so entertaining. I will say that this book was so impressive to me, It completely pulled me in more than this series has done lately. And also this one had such a fun setting with a golf course and I haven't ever read a golf themed romance before and I am realizing how much I loved it and I need more of this.

The set up of the story is that Valerian, who is a immortal enforcer, and has come to Canada to relax with this golf course. He has been coming to this course for months but when the owner's life is put at risk, and meets her for the first time, he realizes that she is his lifemate. Natalie, has had her heart burned by the father of her children. She lost her husband who ended up having another wife and child and not really her husband, but is killed in an accident with their son while she was pregnant. Now she has worked hard to built the golf course and give a good life for her daughter. But when her life is put in danger, Valerian ends up being her rock but also introduces her to a life she ever imagined...

I absolutely adored this story in so many ways. I adored both of the main characters. Valerian and Natalie are such a strong match. I really adored their chemistry from the very beginning. They click right away and neither of them fight their relationship for very long. I also had a blast with some old favorites and we get Lucien PLUS Leigh. (we don't always see his lady and it added something more to the story to see her play such a role here). But Natalie really sees Lucien for who he is and it was entertaining. I also enjoyed seeing the heroine being a single mother. We don't see kids or family centered themes in this series and when I see it happen, it just adds more depth to the story. I was endeared in seeing how the mystery was developed and the villain of the story was someone I LEAST expected so it made for such a surprising climax in the end. I will say that this story was such a blast of fun from the romance, to the setting, to the mystery and the delightful side cast of characters.

Overall I found After The Bite to be a snazzy, chillin' sexy romp of a romance that delivers in its spooky sensuality, characters to charm your heart and with just the right balance of emotion and intrigue.
Profile Image for Mindy Lou's Book Review.
2,997 reviews799 followers
May 15, 2022
Natalie has been through one heck of a shock that most people wouldn't have recovered from. It really showed how strong this woman is. Valerian is the perfect life mate for her and a reward she deserves after everything that has happened to her. I loved him for her. I also loved him for Mia, Natalie's daughter. It's not an easy road for Valerian to get her to trust him but I loved seeing him try.

I also loved seeing some recurring characters. His sister was hilarious and I loved how she took right to Mia. Lucian was hilarious in his grumpiness as always, and even the dog was a great character. I just love how unique each couple and book are after 35 books in the series. I've not read them all but it is on my list to do because I've enjoyed every single one so far.
Profile Image for Mary Kirkland.
769 reviews32 followers
September 27, 2022
Natalie owns a golf course and small restaurant. She's wary of relationships after her husband, son and parents passed away in a car accident. But learning that her husband wasn't who he said he was might have been an even bigger shock for her. For that reason she keeps to herself, doesn't date and raises her young daughter all the while trying to keep her golf course and restaurant going with minimal help so she can save money.

Valerian is an immortal enforcer that works for the Argeneau family. He golfs at night and even though Natalie thinks it's weird, he's a paying customer so she doesn't say anything.

Valerian is golfing one night when his golf cart runs out of gas and he ends up saving Natalie after what they all think is just an accident. He's kept to himself all these months he's been playing golf there so he hasn't met Natalie before now but once he reaches her and meets her, he's sure she is his mate. But that can be very tricky with a mortal and even more tricky for her since she doesn't want to get involved with anyone.

Once Valerian thinks she is in danger though, he calls in the troops and they just kind of take over and let her know she might be in danger. She knows they are all there to keep her and little Mia safe so she puts up a lot less fight when people start taking over her life than I might have in the same situation. Little by little she can see that Valerian is a good guy and she is attracted to him and she thinks he might be attracted to her as well but she still takes things slow...for a while. Once they give into their feelings, there's really no going backwards until she finds out about what he is. She doesn't take it well in the beginning, not that I can really blame her. So while it takes a little time for her to trust him and the others, it's really Valerian's sister that helps her in that regard.

All the while they are trying to track down the serial killer, The Angel Maker who they think might be behind the dangerous scenarios that have happened to Natalie. This is the 35th book in this series and I really enjoyed this book as much as I have enjoyed the other books in this series.
Profile Image for Brittany (whatbritreads).
972 reviews1,240 followers
October 22, 2025
This has got to go down in my Goodreads history as one of the wackiest books I’ve ever read I think. Imagine the Mindf*ck series by ST Abby and Twilight had a baby. He’s a vampire cop, and she’s a single (human) mom who runs the golf course that he plays on when the sun goes down. Absolutely hilarious concept, and I went into it with a very open mind.

This is a fast paced and unique story, and to begin with I was oddly charmed by it. The writing got to a point though where its weakness was evident, and I was tired of the repetition. It was very clearly written by an older woman, which I don’t mean in an offensive way, but the internal monologue over the tiniest things like an arm brush was absolutely sending me. It was overall a perfectly pleasant read in the grand scheme of things and I did want to know how it was playing out, but the execution of it was a little shaky for an author so experienced.

It was all tell and no show, and that was a little disappointing from a worldbuilding perspective. We find out everything through big, oddly placed stints of dialogue. The worldbuilding itself was so hilarious though. I am always fascinated by different authors' spin on vampirism, but this one really took the cake for me. It did feel like a bit of a Twilight knockoff in the beginning with the fact that Valerian couldn't read Natalie’s mind, and he jumped to the conclusion they’re clearly life mates because of that. Also the sex between mates being so potent it could kill them? I laughed out loud. The plot and magic system was just as wacky, and I feel like the powers of the vampires and the politics weren't wholly clear.

Natalie was a little bland to be honest, and her reaction to finding out there are vampires everywhere - near her house, child, and business - was criminally calm. Valerian was quite cute. He was such a funny protagonist, and in my head I was just imagining him as Carlisle Cullen. He is the most golden retriever-esque vampire I’ve ever come across. A respectful king. Despite him being really sweet though, they still ended up being incredibly bland and dry as a couple sadly. It placed such an emphasis on this ‘mate’ thing that it put no effort into actually developing their dynamic in terms of chemistry and tension. I just didn’t really care for them, the whole thing was a little bit odd. The smut scenes especially were really bizarre. It actually made me laugh that their first time sleeping together was over in less than three minutes and consisted of a single thrust before they both finished and PASSED OUT….. what on Earth. Hahaha.

The golf bits were actually decent to be fair, and I did enjoy those parts. But I’m a little lost as to how the cover was designed because it feels a little misleading. We see him carry a golf bag once and it’s said that he used a buggy, and never actually see him play other than that. He just cuts the grass once or twice. For the last 50%, there’s actually no golf at all. I feel like that was such a wasted opportunity, as it could’ve been a great plot device for her to be wondering why he’s always out on the course in the pitch black. I don’t really think this can wholly constitute as a golf romance when the golf went missing about 50 pages in. So I have no idea why the cover emphasises a shirtless man on a golf course.

I reckon if you read all 30+ books in this series and were a diehard fan and had all of the lore, this would be quite an immersive and fun continuation of the story. It does work as a standalone, but it did make for a bit of a bizarre one. Ending wise - we did completely lose the plot and it took an absolute nosedive for the worst sadly. It had some odd attempted murder thriller-esque spin to it that felt like it came out of left field. It was just so rushed and random. I…. sadly didn’t like it. It started out a solid three stars, and then gradually just lost me.
Profile Image for Dianne.
1,844 reviews158 followers
September 26, 2022
If you have read any of the others books in this series, you already know how much the series has changed. I don't have to explain it to you and waste your time. I recommend reading at least a couple of her newer books so you can familiarize yourself with some of the characters in this book. And there are a TON of characters! Ms. Sands has the wonderful habit of using many of her starring characters repeatedly as secondary or even tertiary characters.


A familiar trope of a single Mom doing what she can do to keep her family together--in this case, it's owning and taking care of a golf course/restaurant.
The vamps are looking into a serial killer, and soon it seems that this killer may be after the course owner, Natalie.

Sorry, but I'm not going to spoil this book with more of the story or simply re-write the synopsis of the book to pad my review. So I will just say that this book had a major twist, and I did figure out the clumsy murderer- but the why of it just floored the poop out of me!

The author also goes with the happily-ever-after trope (well, it IS a romance, after all!!!). There is a tone of sizzlin' sex and the inevitable human-to-vamp change.

I loved it and read this in a single day.

*ARC supplied by the publisher Avon and Harper Voyager, NetGalley, and Lynsay Sands, the author.
My thanks.
Profile Image for Erin Cataldi.
2,536 reviews63 followers
January 6, 2024
Sweet baby Jesus.... I am almost speechless. I am not the target audience for this book or for this series. This is the THIRTY FIFTH installment of this vampire series. I have read none of the books prior to this and was given this book to read as part of a blind date with a book book club. I.... did not like this. Not one bit. It was cheesy, oddly written and had so many weird plot holes!

Natalie inherited her parents golf course after they were killed in a car accident with her husband and three year old son. She is a workaholic and runs herself ragged keeping the place open and watching after her toddler daughter. One of her elusive golfers Valerien (who she has never met) likes to golf at dusk. Little does she know that he is a vampire and an enforcer, his job is to hunt down vampires that have gone rogue and prey on humans. One such vampire, the Angelmaker, seems to have his sights set on Natalie. When Valerien discovers that, he will do anything to keep her safe because he has discovered that she is his life mate. BARF. I can't even go on. I did finish reading it (begrudgingly). The ending was double barf. How is this series so long?!?
Profile Image for Ashley (Red-Haired Ash Reads).
3,356 reviews180 followers
November 30, 2025
Series: Argeneau #35
Rating: 3 stars - I liked it

Immortal Enforcer Valerian golfs to unwind after chasing rogues. What he doesn’t expect is to find his life mate on the golf course or for her to potentially be the next victim of a serial killer.

This was another enjoyable story from Sands. Valerian is a protective alpha male who has spent his life wandering the world. He is currently an enforcer and has been tasked with trying to find the serial killer, the Angel-Maker, who seems to be targeting Natalie and her golf course. I liked Valerian. He was sweet, protective, and will be a great step-father for Mia.

Natalie was an extremely independent and hardworking single mother. She has spent her whole life working overtime and doesn’t really know how to relax or slow down. It has taken a toll on her health and it took a threat on her life to realize this. She also suffers from guilt at not being a better mother to her deceased son. Natalie really has had a rough life but never stops fighting to build a better life for her daughter.

Like all Argeneau couples, Natalie and Valerian had intense and immediate chemistry. They couldn't keep their hands off each other, which for new life mates means you pass out in inconvenient places. I enjoyed watching Natalie learn about immortals and found her first reaction to it hilarious. Also, I liked that Valerian gave her space when she needed it and didn’t force her to listen to more truths before she was ready.

The hunt for the serial killer in this was interesting, but not as suspenseful as I was expecting. The focus was mainly on Valerian and Natalie’s relationship and acceptance of immortals, instead of the threat this killer faced. Yes, they still were vigilant and discussed safety but I felt like, until the end, it wasn’t really much of a hunt, and what ended up happening was just a brief recap to Natalie instead of on page.

Overall for a vampire book set on a golf course, it was surprisingly enjoyable considering I find everything about golf boring.

Trigger Warnings: death of spouse, child, and parents in a car accident; stalking by a serial killer; poisoning; on page pet injury;
Profile Image for Susan Saltos.
369 reviews8 followers
September 29, 2022
Disappointing really. A lot of tell, tell, tell, explain, explain, explain rather than “showing” the story. Not much happened between Valerian and Natalie to get to know each other. And it was pretty obvious who the stalker was also. It was just an okay read. I expect better from Ms Sands but the stories have just gotten worse and worse the more she does in this series. After #35 books in this one series, I guess she’s running out of ideas. The plot idea was unique with the whole golfing club and Valerian liking golf and had come from a golf resort owning family also. But the story needed a lot more with the two “romantic leads” actually spending some time together. Mia was cute and there should have been more of her. And more of Valerian spending time with Mia. Maybe part of the problem was Ms Sands brought in SO MANY characters from previous books that those characters took up a bunch of the story time as Valerian had to explain to Natalie who they were, their relationship to him and each other, etc.
Profile Image for Jared - Jarock on Discord.
91 reviews4 followers
September 27, 2022
I'm being a bit generous but I have to give Lynsay credit for always finding a way to draw you in. Yes, her works pretty much always follow the same beats. In this one, guy vampire who is seemingly minding his own business just happens into a girl who, oh my goodness, she's his LIFEMATE. Or at least a potential one. This isn't a spoiler for anyone who's read more than a single Argeneau book as only the sex of the vampire in question typically changes. What Lynsay does well is setup a believable conflict for why things might not work and usually a very comedic turn as the couple struggle through to the inevitable happy ending. If I'm going to knock this specific book, the villain felt a bit obvious fairly early and his defeat was far to simple in the end. Still, it was a very pleasant and distracting read. Kudos to Lynsay for being able to execute so very consistently without it becoming boring.

7.5 out of 10
Profile Image for Beyond the Pages with Eva K.
3,042 reviews165 followers
November 27, 2023
Quick Summary: A "fast and furious" vampire fantasy romance

My Review: After the Bite by Lynsay Sands is An Argeneau Novel. It is installment 35.

About the Book: An Atlantean descendent meets a single parent mother who happens to be his lifemate.

My Final Say: This was an interesting read. I didn't love it, but I thought it was fair. My expectation was to see more of a sinister villain, as well as to get more of a taste of malevolence. In truth, I thought that the antagonist proved to be a predictable presence. More than anything, this book just felt like a meet-a-mate story. I wanted a bit more action with the romance.

Other: Additional considerations about this book include the following: there was quite a bit of repetition , the MFC fluctuated with her presentation (rather drastically), and the transition seemed rushed at the end.

Other: Readers who like The BDB books will like this book.

Rating: 3.5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Series: Yes
Status/Level: 🌶
Profile Image for Darcy.
14.4k reviews542 followers
September 30, 2022
With over 30 books in the series, it's always fun to see how things will go. I liked that with this one it was out of where most Immortals live, the golf course at the center of things, which is a very odd sport for people who don't like the sun.

It was crazy how quickly this one spun out of control. From little things to full on harm coming to Natalie, harm that looks like a case the immortals are working on, which brings them all to the gold course. While I loved how things were with Natalie and Valerian were, both smitten with each other, I loved more that Natalie was getting a break with everyone coming to help her, she needed it. Being able to see the help made Natalie re-think things a bit, especially when none of them judged her for her past.

When everything came out at the end, it was more than a little bonkers. I was glad that Natalie had the support of the immortals that she did, but even better was getting Valerian as a life mate. You just know their lives ahead will be great.
Profile Image for Michele.
2,260 reviews
September 27, 2022
See the full review & more at HarlequinJunkie

A paranormal romance that started off as a slow burn and then built up to a quick but exciting finale, After the Bite was another satisfying installment in Lynsay Sands’ Argeneau series.

Even with this being book thirty-five (!!!!) in the Argeneau series, I still get hooked on Lynsay Sands’ characters and the world she’s built every time we meet a new couple. I don’t think I will ever tire of watching the life mates fall in love, seeing the sweetness of their connections–such as with Natalie and Valerian in this book–and the awe and utter joy of the immortals for having finally found their mate. But boy didn’t Valerian have his work cut out for him here... Read More
Profile Image for Adriana.
3,508 reviews42 followers
September 28, 2022
I was really liking the thriller aspect of this one but then it's like Sands got confused about what kind of story she was making and it becomes a muddled bit of everything with a rushed ending that honestly left me wondering if I was missing part of the book.
I loved Valerian as he's the perfect romance lead with the ideal balance of brooding and fun. And Natalie is interesting in that she has quite a memorable backstory that explains a lot of how she acts. But everything about their relationship feels rushed and it just gets explained away with the nanos deciding that they're life mates and that's that. It left me wishing there were more pages to see the relationship develop more naturally.
And I'm sorry, but the whole passing out from how good the sex is when it doesn't even last half a page is too much for me.
I'm still rating this a bit high because it was entertaining and I did care about what happened to the characters, but I'm afraid there's not much for me to recommend it.

Happy thanks to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the early read!
Profile Image for Shannon .
2,370 reviews161 followers
July 25, 2023
After the Bite
Argeneau, Book 35

I Picked Up This Book Because: My #BookspinBingo spinner told me to/Continue the series

Media Type: Audiobook
Source: Scribd
Dates Read: 5/26/23 - 5/29/23
Stars: 4
Narrator(s): Stacey Glembowski

The Characters:

Valerian:
Natalie:
Mia, Val’s Sister, Many many other immortals

The Story:

I love seeing a long time series still going strong. Still interesting. Still thriving. I hope Ms Sands never runs out of Argeneau family members. Seeing these hunters get their HEAs is so much fun.

The Random Thoughts:
Profile Image for theresa abernathy.
47 reviews2 followers
November 3, 2022
I like these stories but...

I would like more romance and connections between the couple. Less day to day chopping vegetables describing every minute of brushing teeth, getting dressed cooking.
Profile Image for Nicole.
1,241 reviews101 followers
October 31, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up.

Valerian MacKenzie works hard during the week at his job as an immortal Enforcer. On the weekends he just wants to relax and loves to play golf as a way to destress. When he meets Natalie Moncrief, the club’s owner, he’s very interested in the single mom and her adorable daughter, Mia. Natalie is leery of any relationship and afraid to trust. Valerian is understandably concerned about how she might react to learning the truth about him being an immortal and decides to attempt to woo her the old-fashioned way.

Nothing goes to plan right from the beginning as it becomes apparent that someone is stalking Natalie with the intention of killing her and Valerian is afraid he’ll lose his life mate when he’s just found her.

This series is always a nice escape from reality for me and this installment was no different. The initial few chapters are pretty slow and got a bit bogged down in daily routine minutiae for me, but I enjoyed the MCs’ scenes together and Valerian’s extended family and friends were lovely supporting characters as always. This was a great, quick read for fall, and I enjoyed the suspense elements of the story, especially Valerian’s protectiveness of Natalie. It was an easy story to become invested in once it got going, and my only real issue was the pacing. Natalie and Valerian didn’t really get all that much alone time together between her workaholic nature, the attempts on her life, and her daughter taking up a good bit of their page time together, not to mention her being very slow to allow Valerian to speak frankly with her and explain who and what he was. Thanks to this issue, the ending felt extremely rushed to me and everything was wrapped up very quickly. Though it was still a satisfying conclusion, I was left wanting just a little more completion, especially with regards to how everything will work out with Mia. Otherwise, I enjoyed this story and am looking forward to antics from other characters in this world.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...
Profile Image for Candace.
950 reviews
November 23, 2022
Valerian is an Immortal Enforcer who likes to relax between assignments by playing golf. His family owns several golf courses, so he is familiar with the business as well as the pleasure side of the game. Natalie is a single mother who owns and runs a golf course, Shady Pines, with a restaurant. Valerian for two months has been teeing off around dusk at her golf course. When his rented golf cart runs out of gas at the eighteenth hole, Valerian walks back to the clubhouse to inform an employee where the cart is located. He meets Natalie and realizes that she is his life mate. Learning that she has gone through a rough time, he decides to woo her the old fashion way. When the villain The Angel Maker targets Natalie, Valerian knows he'll do whatever it takes to protect Natalie and her daughter, Mia.

I dived mind and spirit into this 35th novel in the Argeneau series. I found the chemistry between the protagonists electrifying. The moments they touched sizzles and the shared dreams educate. The villain is a serial killer who drains his female victims of blood and then poses them within an angel in the snow. The Enforcers thought the Angel Maker had stopped killing until the snow returns, but apparently he has not. Several past characters from other books in the series make an appearance and aid in protecting Natalie, Mia and Natalie's employees. The romance is the plot with the Angel Maker as one of the subplots. The descriptions are vivid and the setting is the golf course and the clubhouse. The dialogue flows seamlessly between characters. I have enjoyed this novel and look forward to future books in the series, but now I want to backtrack to some of the older novels I have missed in my reading.
Profile Image for Shawna (what.shawna.reads).
371 reviews97 followers
Read
August 12, 2023
Another solid entry in the Argeneau series with a sprinkle of hints for even more pairings to come. Thirty-five books in and I still love this series and Lynsay Sands’ hilarious paranormal romances.

Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for my copy to review.
Profile Image for Douglas Meeks.
893 reviews238 followers
November 24, 2022
I have read every book in this series and still wish they could get back to the romance and humor of those first 10 or so books but the last few while entertaining are not memorable stories like those first one and are soon forgotten for the most part. This one was no "can't put it down" story but it was enjoyable even though you knew who the killer was before you got out of the first 2 chapters. I am going to keep this short and say if you are a reader of the series this is a decent story but more of a murder mystery and about a dozen cameos with a very small helping of vampire romance on the side. I give it 4 Stars since I still love the series but I think nostalgia brings me back more than desire to read the new stories that seem much the same book after book.
649 reviews2 followers
December 1, 2022
After 35 books, there is nothing new but these are still entertaining. Isn’t is just the way that you might come into a windfall after you get hooked up to your rich life mate? Easy read, no surprises.
Profile Image for natalia.
72 reviews
May 21, 2023
changing to a 1 star bc this new book is changing my heart
Profile Image for TINNGG.
1,238 reviews20 followers
December 1, 2024
Irony - when we first meet our H, he’s essentially lecturing his boss about the importance of reading all the mortals’ minds, The next time we see him, he’s coming to the club house to let the owner know that the golf cart is out of gas, having taken it from a kid he hasn’t seen before instead of the old man who usually provides it. And…he didn’t bother to read the kid”s mind to at least find out why the old man wasn’t there. Of course if he had, we’d had an actual romance instead of a bunch of immortal keystone cops. The kid conveniently disappeared after that and nobody thought to hunt him down and check on him - also would have derailed the half-assed romantic suspense but hey.

So the h, having left her first child in the care of a nanny most of his short life, is doing the opposite with child 2. And she’s an overachiever. And and and…

Then we have the whole morphing of life mate syndrome where now just brushing against the person makes you lose your mind. I recall a certain editor untangling a codpiece from a tablecloth during a banquet. Yes; I think it’s ridiculous, particularly since we were told in a previous book that under tense circumstances, the whole fainting business didn’t always happen. And yet, we can’t seem to have a book where someone isn’t trying to kill someone. Ok, I think Bricker’s was “just” a romance, but the h was already married so we had to deal with the cheating aspects.

Regarding the whole “Angel of death” is an immortal because the victims were drained, unless there were bite marks, that’s circumstantial. I just read a real romantic suspense where the victims were drained using funeral home equipment. No vampires involved; merely a deranged individual.
Profile Image for Beth C..
647 reviews62 followers
September 21, 2022
Reviewed on behalf of Verve Romance

An easy and super fun read that offers suspense, sexiness, and a super-hot vampire who is surprisingly good at golf—and with kids. Definitely one of my favorites from this long-running, much-loved series.

As book 35 (THIRTY-FIVE! Overwhelming, I know) in this series, After the Bite should, by all rights, feel a little tired, a little familiar. And while it’s true I’ve skipped more than a few of the Argeneau books, it’s not because I found them lacking or samey-same this far into the adventures of Canada’s clan of immortals; I simply cannot keep up with Lynsay Sands’ prolificness.

Yes, aspects of the stories have changed over the years—the passing out was not so much a feature of the early books, for example—but the core remains the same. And what makes Sands a Queen with a capital Q is her ability still to capture my attention and my heart each and every time I dive back into this series.

And capture my heart, she absolutely did. Natalie, the mortal owner of a golf club, and Valerian, an immortal enforcer (and avid links walker), faced death while falling in love, and their story was a page-turner from the start. This couple was really likable—Valerian being calm, capable, and respectful of his life mate, knowing her past made her wary, and Natalie finding her trust and letting go of perfection after loss. Honestly, I couldn’t wait for them to agree to forever together.

Despite wishing for a little more to close out this book, I feel pretty comfortable saying that whether you’ve read any, all, or none of these books in the past, you will get a kick out of it. There are some cute moments—the hokey pokey, anyone?—some nail-biting ones and a whole host of immortal cameos to reward long-time readers. A giant dog, an adorable kid, and, of course, the famed shared pleasure that results in quick and dirty-hot sex scenes round out After the Bite to make a super enjoyable paranormal romance that might just convince you 34 books isn’t that many to catch up on . . .
733 reviews9 followers
September 25, 2022
This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

I have not read many of the books in this series so was pleasantly surprised that I could follow the characters and any backstory as it was explained very clearly and previous couples were introduced.

This book is about Natalie who owns a golf course and Valerian, an immortal. During the investigation into the Snow Angel killer, Valerian meets Natalie and they believe that the killer is after her but this really doesn't fit the profiles of the serial killer.

Valerian knows that Natalie is his life mate and has to ease her into the world of immortals and hope that she decides to stay with him when she finds out what he really is.

I guessed who the culprit was but not for the right reasons and there were enough clues that I should have figured it out!

The book was filled with drama, intrigue, and sizzling attraction so it was hard to put it down! There were so many parts of the book that I enjoyed but I have to say that when Natalie walked into the RV and saw all the guys drinking from blood bags - that was hilarious! Of course, Natalie did not react well but fortunately, they were able to get past that and had their HEA!
Profile Image for Meredith  Mouselovesbooks.
70 reviews11 followers
October 11, 2023
I’ve read this series for a long time. It’s a hold over from my first foray into paranormal romance, and was one of my first comfort series. But it’s not what it was before. Or maybe I am not who I was then? I don’t know. It just doesn’t feel like the same. I will probably read the next one but it might be the last, if I have the same reaction I did to this one, which was “it was fine.”

I listened to the audiobook which was well preformed but the VOA had too mature of a voice, in my opinion. Sounded very matronly, kind of like I needed to be ready to be scolded by an elder, rather than a mid 30s year old. The men voices were fine, but the Scottish accent felt a bit forced.

Basics
*MF paranormal romance
*Human F + Immortal M (vampire a la nano technology)
*Standalone in interconnected series; you can read this without reading the others, but there are MANY re-occurring characters and you might miss some things
*HEA for the couple; each book features new MCs
*dual 3rd POV
*single mom; child featured in several scenes
*fated mates
*open door, on page intimacy

Content
*reference to past death of family members
*murder attempts (on an MC not by an MC)
*previous relationship trauma
*animal injury-details:
*blood consumption
*reference to a serial killer targeting sex workers


This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Adaiah.
183 reviews15 followers
November 2, 2022
Natalie Moncreit, Chef and owner of Pine Golf Course is making a good life for her daughter Mia, after the tragic auto accident that killed her parents, son and husband. Unfortunately, Natalie finds out her husband is a bigamist and her home and restaurant is left to the legal wife. The last thing Natalie wants is to date or enter another relationship. But, there's something about Valerian MacKenzie that draws her to him.

Valerian MacKenzie, Rogue Hunter working for Lucian has found his lifemate in Natalie, and must proceed cautiously knowing the last thing she wants is a relationship.. Valerian offers his security service to Natalie as more and more life threatening accidents happen around her. When questioned, Natalie remembers someone whispering, "Angel". Valerian needs to convince Natalie that he loves her and quickly because it looks like she's been marked by the serial killer called the 'Angel'
97 reviews
August 2, 2022
Book 35 of the Argeneau series doesn't disappoint. Valerian meets his life mate Natalie and her daughter Mia at her family golf course. This story has a little bit of everything, a sexy immortal, a strong female, a villain, suspense, humor, romance, etc. It was nice to catch up with some characters from earlier in the series as well.

There was a lot going on in the story with solving the mystery of the bad guy, but I would have liked to see a little more of Valerian, Natalie and Mia getting to know each other as a family.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
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