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Angler #1
Bait
As a vampire slayer, there's only two types of guys interested in me. The boring mortal guys that want to kiss me...and the bloodthirsty vampires that want to kill me.
Sounds simple, right? Try not to let the normal guys bore me to death, and don't let the vampires kill anyone.
Well, things have changed.
The slayers have ordered me to capture the vampire overlord Rurik, but he has other plans. And the more I learn about him, the less certain I am that he’s the monster we’ve made him out to be. It probably doesn’t help that I'm falling for him.
Now I don’t know who to trust, and as forces greater than either of us struggle for power, I may never get the chance to find out. See, here’s the thing...
Baiting the enemy can be satisfying...until you’re the one who gets caught.
Sounds simple, right? Try not to let the normal guys bore me to death, and don't let the vampires kill anyone.
Well, things have changed.
The slayers have ordered me to capture the vampire overlord Rurik, but he has other plans. And the more I learn about him, the less certain I am that he’s the monster we’ve made him out to be. It probably doesn’t help that I'm falling for him.
Now I don’t know who to trust, and as forces greater than either of us struggle for power, I may never get the chance to find out. See, here’s the thing...
Baiting the enemy can be satisfying...until you’re the one who gets caught.
206 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2010
451 people are currently reading
3445 people want to read
About the author
Annie Nicholas
72 books1,134 followersAnnie Nicholas hibernates in the rural, green mountains of Vermont where she dreams of different worlds, heroes, and heroines. When spring arrives the stories pour from her, in hopes to share them with the masses one day.
Mother, daughter, wife are some of the hats she happily wears while trudging after her cubs through the hills and dales. The four seasons an inspiration and muse.
Mother, daughter, wife are some of the hats she happily wears while trudging after her cubs through the hills and dales. The four seasons an inspiration and muse.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 298 reviews
September 9, 2015
Written June 6, 2014
3.3 Stars - Vampire hunting with a very funny and brave girl - charming enough to listen to with some giggling moments
I got Bait as a freebie a year ago and now added the audiobook also for just a few bucks (two). Maybe not my first book-choice in style and genre nowadays but certainly worth testing.
A fast-paced, playful steamy and adventurous vampire suspense romance seems, after all, pretty fun to listen to in about 8-9 hours. ~ And this book delivered exactly that.
I'm happy and satisfied with a vampire smile.
***********************************************************
A vampire hunt in Budapest...
The vampire-hunter Connie Bence is sent on a mission to Budapest in Hungary to lure a vampire 'Overlord' into a trap. Connie's employer has concrete proof of the dubious leader's misdeeds but she is surprised when this dark beautiful vampire Rurik offers her protection and rescues her from his own kind the first night they meet.
Connie can not but feel a tiny growing attraction to Rurik. He is a charming sexy bloodsucker after all. ~ Pretty soon is Connie (and her american team) in the middle of blackmailing, danger, lies and rumors (and of course steaming hot encounters..) and she begins to question Rurik's guilt.
Is the Overlord Rurik really an evil and dangerous 'man' (vampire) with cruel killings and blood-suckers feasts on his conscience? Or is he the man she finally again can give her (now broken) heart?
***********************************************************
Sometimes I just need the point of view in a story to change between the MC's. In Bait is actually the heroines Connie's inner voice and her thoughts so very fun to hear so I didn't ever miss the opportunity to also hear the hero's thoughts and feelings this time. This heroine is both funny, witty, outspoken and has plenty of (chuckle-worthy) self-irony. A petite blond young lady in high heels to enjoy and like.
Listening to the audiobook (definitely okay narrated by Jennifer O'Donnell) is it almost the vampire hero —with a kind of odd wheezing voice and slurred accent— that feels weaker, and weird enough, I liked that. It is so good to some times read about strong independent women (even when they are romping in the heat between the sheets) in PRN or vampire romances. He is obviously a strong manly alpha male but not in any way a bossy "caveman" (despite his long 'life').
~ No blood-slurping here without persuasion...
I'm glad to say that I in the end really liked and felt I know both the main and a second characters (and it was a lot of them - both powerful very old pale vampires and also some though human vampire hunters). They where all also needed in a quite good plot. Not a lot of unnecessary fuss just straight towards a solution to the mystery —with a bloody final battle— and to a grand life in eternal love and happiness (...or??).
***********************************************************
A romance set in the culturally and historically unique country in the center of Europe with the Hungarians (Magyarok people) and their beautiful old capital city Budapest, is of course, extra fun because I partly have roots there (not in the city but in the country). ~ Köszönöm szépen, Ms Nicholas!
***********************************************************
Not a story I will remember and talk about for years to come but still quite okay.
I LIKE - Yep, a cheeky tough heroine who made this fun
* * * * * *
Bait is still for free at Amazon and you get the audiobook for just $2:29 if you buy them both.
3.3 Stars - Vampire hunting with a very funny and brave girl - charming enough to listen to with some giggling moments
I got Bait as a freebie a year ago and now added the audiobook also for just a few bucks (two). Maybe not my first book-choice in style and genre nowadays but certainly worth testing.
A fast-paced, playful steamy and adventurous vampire suspense romance seems, after all, pretty fun to listen to in about 8-9 hours. ~ And this book delivered exactly that.
I'm happy and satisfied with a vampire smile.
***********************************************************
A vampire hunt in Budapest...
The vampire-hunter Connie Bence is sent on a mission to Budapest in Hungary to lure a vampire 'Overlord' into a trap. Connie's employer has concrete proof of the dubious leader's misdeeds but she is surprised when this dark beautiful vampire Rurik offers her protection and rescues her from his own kind the first night they meet.
‘I was speechless—I didn’t know what to say to my worst nightmare. 'Please don’t eat me', came to mind.’
Connie can not but feel a tiny growing attraction to Rurik. He is a charming sexy bloodsucker after all. ~ Pretty soon is Connie (and her american team) in the middle of blackmailing, danger, lies and rumors (and of course steaming hot encounters..) and she begins to question Rurik's guilt.
Is the Overlord Rurik really an evil and dangerous 'man' (vampire) with cruel killings and blood-suckers feasts on his conscience? Or is he the man she finally again can give her (now broken) heart?
***********************************************************
Sometimes I just need the point of view in a story to change between the MC's. In Bait is actually the heroines Connie's inner voice and her thoughts so very fun to hear so I didn't ever miss the opportunity to also hear the hero's thoughts and feelings this time. This heroine is both funny, witty, outspoken and has plenty of (chuckle-worthy) self-irony. A petite blond young lady in high heels to enjoy and like.
Listening to the audiobook (definitely okay narrated by Jennifer O'Donnell) is it almost the vampire hero —with a kind of odd wheezing voice and slurred accent— that feels weaker, and weird enough, I liked that. It is so good to some times read about strong independent women (even when they are romping in the heat between the sheets) in PRN or vampire romances. He is obviously a strong manly alpha male but not in any way a bossy "caveman" (despite his long 'life').
~ No blood-slurping here without persuasion...
I'm glad to say that I in the end really liked and felt I know both the main and a second characters (and it was a lot of them - both powerful very old pale vampires and also some though human vampire hunters). They where all also needed in a quite good plot. Not a lot of unnecessary fuss just straight towards a solution to the mystery —with a bloody final battle— and to a grand life in eternal love and happiness (...or??).
***********************************************************
A romance set in the culturally and historically unique country in the center of Europe with the Hungarians (Magyarok people) and their beautiful old capital city Budapest, is of course, extra fun because I partly have roots there (not in the city but in the country). ~ Köszönöm szépen, Ms Nicholas!
***********************************************************
Not a story I will remember and talk about for years to come but still quite okay.
I LIKE - Yep, a cheeky tough heroine who made this fun
* * * * * *
Bait is still for free at Amazon and you get the audiobook for just $2:29 if you buy them both.
January 6, 2017
Not the worst vampire book I've read, but the romance happened wayyyyy too fast. Do not like.
November 1, 2018
This is one of the best vampire books I've ever read, with twists and turns that kept me guessing throughout the book. Very well done!
May 12, 2010
In the tradition of Laurell K. Hamilton and Jim Butcher, Annie Nicholas has created a first person POV book about Connie Belce, a young woman in her twenties hired by Vampire Hunters to be used as BAIT in luring vampires who have committed heinous crimes to their death. She just looks like someone they want to eat.
Sent to Budapest, and somewhat out of her element, she has the daunting task of luring the Master of the City, Rurik from a dance club to an unsuspecting trap. Only problem: Rurik may or may not have actually done the crimes he's accused of.
Before she knows whats happened, Rurik is pursuing her with romantic overtones, the Nosferatu are on her tail, she's gotten involved in not only vampire politics but the drug trade, and her boss goes missing. The good news, she's, well, awesome.
What Nicholas has managed to do, that so few authors manage to do, is to create a character in Connie who is tough but also sensitive and approachable. She's funny but not over the top sarcastic. She's likable and she's carrying around a burden that would destroy people much taller than she is.
Bravo to Ms. Nicholas. This is Angler #1. I'm so excited for #2. Oh..and it doesn't hurt that Rurik is so delicious. LOL
Sent to Budapest, and somewhat out of her element, she has the daunting task of luring the Master of the City, Rurik from a dance club to an unsuspecting trap. Only problem: Rurik may or may not have actually done the crimes he's accused of.
Before she knows whats happened, Rurik is pursuing her with romantic overtones, the Nosferatu are on her tail, she's gotten involved in not only vampire politics but the drug trade, and her boss goes missing. The good news, she's, well, awesome.
What Nicholas has managed to do, that so few authors manage to do, is to create a character in Connie who is tough but also sensitive and approachable. She's funny but not over the top sarcastic. She's likable and she's carrying around a burden that would destroy people much taller than she is.
Bravo to Ms. Nicholas. This is Angler #1. I'm so excited for #2. Oh..and it doesn't hurt that Rurik is so delicious. LOL
February 8, 2024
No.
I'm sorry. I wanted to like this. I did like it in the beginning - when Connie was introduced and presented as a smart and assertive woman who could take care of herself.
Then the old-cradle-robbing-hottie was introduced and suddenly her brains melted away, she thought with her libido and was perfectly fine with him calling her Rabbit (after a poem about a hunted animal - "Run, Rabbit, run"! I kid you not!), making decisions for her (including what she should wear) and, after a little guilt over her dead husband and all that, she DRUGS HERSELF into complying with his plan to take her to bed.
What?
Yup. She does.
This book really had a good thing going for it: Connie.
It also had wit, clever dialogues and some smarts.
Then Connie stopped thinking, the proof-reader lost all interest in checking for mistakes and there was a ton of unneccessary and weird PWP - a lot of it rather sexual assault than sweet-and-consentual.
It left me slightly nauseated and sad.
(1½ stars - of which one full star is because of the funny Connie scenes where Rurik isn't involved = the parts where she can stll use her brain.)
I'm sorry. I wanted to like this. I did like it in the beginning - when Connie was introduced and presented as a smart and assertive woman who could take care of herself.
Then the old-cradle-robbing-hottie was introduced and suddenly her brains melted away, she thought with her libido and was perfectly fine with him calling her Rabbit (after a poem about a hunted animal - "Run, Rabbit, run"! I kid you not!), making decisions for her (including what she should wear) and, after a little guilt over her dead husband and all that, she DRUGS HERSELF into complying with his plan to take her to bed.
What?
Yup. She does.
This book really had a good thing going for it: Connie.
It also had wit, clever dialogues and some smarts.
Then Connie stopped thinking, the proof-reader lost all interest in checking for mistakes and there was a ton of unneccessary and weird PWP - a lot of it rather sexual assault than sweet-and-consentual.
It left me slightly nauseated and sad.
(1½ stars - of which one full star is because of the funny Connie scenes where Rurik isn't involved = the parts where she can stll use her brain.)
June 27, 2012
Fabulous freebie! and this coming from a total freebie snob. I download them and never read them. I'm silly like that. Something in my brain says if it's free it can't be that good if they have to give it away.
Boy was I wrong with Annie's novel.
This was just so cool!
Broken hearted lovable heroine and a gorgeous lonely vampire who is fighting off the seriously nasty Nosferatu vampire bad dude.
Lots of plotting, double crossing and action. Romantic, full of suspenseful moments. Sexy and very addictive reading.
I have paid good money for books and not enjoyed them as much as I enjoyed this one! Thanks Annie!
Boy was I wrong with Annie's novel.
This was just so cool!
Broken hearted lovable heroine and a gorgeous lonely vampire who is fighting off the seriously nasty Nosferatu vampire bad dude.
Lots of plotting, double crossing and action. Romantic, full of suspenseful moments. Sexy and very addictive reading.
I have paid good money for books and not enjoyed them as much as I enjoyed this one! Thanks Annie!
November 4, 2020
If you've been following me for a while, you know I'm not a huge romance person. This is my second romance, and coincidentally, also my second paranormal romance. But I've got acquired some romance books via giveaways, Humble Bundle, Story Bundle, and Amazon's Kindle First giveaways. I am trying to read "all" my books rather than constantly spending money on the next new thing. So I ended up getting to Bait.
Despite the cover, I was pleasantly surprised with the story. Were there romance tropes? Of course! Characters falling in love ridiculously quickly, slap-slap-kiss, non-consensual things (although not noncon sex - so depending on how specific your triggers are...maybe OK?), hot bods, etc. But I thought the story was pretty decent, even if it's a "step backwards" for women compared to, say, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Essentially, our main character is bait to attract vampires so the hunters can slay them. She's been working this for a while, but THIS TIME she's in over her head - both in terms of controlling her sexual attraction and in her job role. I thought Ms Nicholas created a good mythology around the vamps and the battle for power she ended up in the middle of. I also appreciated that, although part of a trilogy, it has a satisfying ending. Also, even though Goodreads has this book listed under Erotica (as well as Romance and other categories), I thought that the sex made sense within the context of the story and wasn't the entire point of the book. In fact, there's just two sex scenes in the entire book and they each last just a few paragraphs. In other words, this isn't sex with a story glued to it. This is a story that happens to have sex.
I think if you like vampires and you like romances, it's an easy recommendation and a relatively easy read.
Despite the cover, I was pleasantly surprised with the story. Were there romance tropes? Of course! Characters falling in love ridiculously quickly, slap-slap-kiss, non-consensual things (although not noncon sex - so depending on how specific your triggers are...maybe OK?), hot bods, etc. But I thought the story was pretty decent, even if it's a "step backwards" for women compared to, say, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Essentially, our main character is bait to attract vampires so the hunters can slay them. She's been working this for a while, but THIS TIME she's in over her head - both in terms of controlling her sexual attraction and in her job role. I thought Ms Nicholas created a good mythology around the vamps and the battle for power she ended up in the middle of. I also appreciated that, although part of a trilogy, it has a satisfying ending. Also, even though Goodreads has this book listed under Erotica (as well as Romance and other categories), I thought that the sex made sense within the context of the story and wasn't the entire point of the book. In fact, there's just two sex scenes in the entire book and they each last just a few paragraphs. In other words, this isn't sex with a story glued to it. This is a story that happens to have sex.
I think if you like vampires and you like romances, it's an easy recommendation and a relatively easy read.
September 7, 2013
4.25stars
I was caught up immediately with Connie "Rabbit" Bence's assignment as bait to lure the vampire lord Rurik to his demise. Connie works as a seducer for a shadow-y (read mercenary) group that eliminates vampires who prey on humans but she ends up being seduced by her prey. Everywhere she goes in Budapest he is there and Connie is finding it harder at each time to resist. It was very easy to "care" if this couple is together or not
Connie's boss and co-workers have always been correct in determining their prey, but this time she isn't so sure. The information she is given conflicts with the actions she sees when she is with him. When she is given even more information everything becomes even more suspect.
I really liked the unique terminology for the vampire cult here (i.e. kiss is a vampire coven). Another high point for me was the accessibility of these fully fleshed characters and their interaction with the equally fleshed secondary characters. The action, romance and suspense pieces were equally balanced for a smooth read. The pacing and writing style of this origin story both worked great for me. I'd never read anything by this author but I will in the future.
I was caught up immediately with Connie "Rabbit" Bence's assignment as bait to lure the vampire lord Rurik to his demise. Connie works as a seducer for a shadow-y (read mercenary) group that eliminates vampires who prey on humans but she ends up being seduced by her prey. Everywhere she goes in Budapest he is there and Connie is finding it harder at each time to resist. It was very easy to "care" if this couple is together or not
Connie's boss and co-workers have always been correct in determining their prey, but this time she isn't so sure. The information she is given conflicts with the actions she sees when she is with him. When she is given even more information everything becomes even more suspect.
I really liked the unique terminology for the vampire cult here (i.e. kiss is a vampire coven). Another high point for me was the accessibility of these fully fleshed characters and their interaction with the equally fleshed secondary characters. The action, romance and suspense pieces were equally balanced for a smooth read. The pacing and writing style of this origin story both worked great for me. I'd never read anything by this author but I will in the future.
September 13, 2010
Hunter’s Review
Wow. Where can I get my own Rurik? Annie Nicholas has created such hot characters they practically steam off the page in this first person narrative that takes a fresh look at the vampire genre. Nicholas’ vampires do not glow or sparkle. While some of them are not necessarily monsters, they are, in fact, bloodsuckers in the best possible way.
The author has managed to take a subject—vampires—that I think a lot of people would argue that the vampire time has passed but Nicholas managed to make it feel fresh again. I look forward to investigating more books from her.
5 Tea Cups!
Wow. Where can I get my own Rurik? Annie Nicholas has created such hot characters they practically steam off the page in this first person narrative that takes a fresh look at the vampire genre. Nicholas’ vampires do not glow or sparkle. While some of them are not necessarily monsters, they are, in fact, bloodsuckers in the best possible way.
The author has managed to take a subject—vampires—that I think a lot of people would argue that the vampire time has passed but Nicholas managed to make it feel fresh again. I look forward to investigating more books from her.
5 Tea Cups!
November 10, 2014
This was a new writer and a new series too me. I have already bought the next books so that sould tell you I enjoyed this.
This is a new awesome vamp series I am going to follow for sure, so hard to find good UF vamp series.
4 stars
This is a new awesome vamp series I am going to follow for sure, so hard to find good UF vamp series.
4 stars
June 26, 2020
Good read!!
July 30, 2011
Connie Bence acts as bait. Working with a group of mercenaries it’s her job to lure in vampires. This time around Budapest’s Overloard Rurik is her assigned target.
When things get out of hand, it’s him, the very vampire she believes to be a monster and killer, who promises to keep her alive. Never would she have thought to ever doubt her beliefs, but there’s no denying it: Rurik is different and not at all what she thought he’d be like.
I loved the idea of Connie being bait. In many other books the heroine is either an unsuspecting human or maybe a vampire hunter. Bait had an original feel to it. The fact that her employer Colby had literally brought her back from a dark place by giving her life new meaning made it hard for her to trust her instincts. When it came to Rurik she was torn between loyalty to Colby and the realization that there’re various shades of grey between her black and white ways of thinking. Good thing she wasn’t afraid to voice her opinions.
You’ll probably laugh at me for this, but I had my problems with the heroine’s name. That might have been the case because I know someone whose name is Connie and I’m not particularly fond of her. Of course, it’s all me. The author is not at fault. :-) No wonder the nickname Rurik bestowed upon her made me happy.
Rurik, oh where to begin? I literally basked in every sentence that described his appearance. “Narrow face, and a set of full lush lips – all male and very tasty.” Nicholas puts on paper what the reader wants to hear. I, for one, loved that Rurik walked a fine line between cold and superior and compassionate and understanding. I understood why Connie was so enthralled by him. Arrogance can be repellent, yet alluring. He seemed to be very intelligent, which was a definite turn-on. The cherry on top? His sense of honor was radiating off of him in waves. A hero who keeps his word - one to go, please!
The chemistry between the main protagonists was off the charts, and so was the sex. If you’ve read any of my other reviews you know how big a deal this is to me. I liked the built-up. I felt her confusion just as strong as his need to be close to her. He weaseled his way into her thoughts and had her smiling. She deserved a reason to smile after what she’d been through.
Two of the secondary characters I found very interesting. Not knowing if they could be trusted made it all the more gripping. I won’t tell you who I’m talking about, though.
It was a quick, but satisfying read. The plot had depth (expect a few surprising twists and turns) and the characters were, for the most part, well developed. The book lived up to its synopsis - better yet - the synopsis, unlike many others, was spot-on. The first-person narrative (Connie’s point of view) was a great choice. It added to Rurik’s mysteriousness. Same goes for the setting. Budapest! Kudos to Nicholas!
However, I felt like things were moving too fast in the end. A few more pages to help me with my confusion about the true intentions of everyone would’ve been awesome. As it was I had to go back and reread a few passages to get everything straightened out in my head. The wrap-up regarding Connie’s and Rurik’s future was a bit rushed as well. Would’ve loved to learn more about what’s in store for them (and the others). The epilogue could’ve contained some kind of forecast to make the reader itch for the second book in the series.
Also, I didn’t know what to make of Colby. The character lacked something…something I couldn’t put my finger on. Nonetheless, I very much enjoyed this read.
4 stars to Bait by Annie Nicholas!
Beware of Spoilers!
A few of my favorite quotes for those of you who are interested:
° “Time I hooked me a monster and reeled him in…”
° “His phenomenal packaging must only be skin deep…”
° “I shut my mouth before I caught flies and checked for drool.”
° “I liked Rurik. He made me at ease with myself, he’d taken care of me, and I mentally kicked myself in the ass, he possibly killed a bunch of people.”
° “Budapest’s sexiest creature wore his insecurities on his sleeve.”
When things get out of hand, it’s him, the very vampire she believes to be a monster and killer, who promises to keep her alive. Never would she have thought to ever doubt her beliefs, but there’s no denying it: Rurik is different and not at all what she thought he’d be like.
I loved the idea of Connie being bait. In many other books the heroine is either an unsuspecting human or maybe a vampire hunter. Bait had an original feel to it. The fact that her employer Colby had literally brought her back from a dark place by giving her life new meaning made it hard for her to trust her instincts. When it came to Rurik she was torn between loyalty to Colby and the realization that there’re various shades of grey between her black and white ways of thinking. Good thing she wasn’t afraid to voice her opinions.
You’ll probably laugh at me for this, but I had my problems with the heroine’s name. That might have been the case because I know someone whose name is Connie and I’m not particularly fond of her. Of course, it’s all me. The author is not at fault. :-) No wonder the nickname Rurik bestowed upon her made me happy.
Rurik, oh where to begin? I literally basked in every sentence that described his appearance. “Narrow face, and a set of full lush lips – all male and very tasty.” Nicholas puts on paper what the reader wants to hear. I, for one, loved that Rurik walked a fine line between cold and superior and compassionate and understanding. I understood why Connie was so enthralled by him. Arrogance can be repellent, yet alluring. He seemed to be very intelligent, which was a definite turn-on. The cherry on top? His sense of honor was radiating off of him in waves. A hero who keeps his word - one to go, please!
The chemistry between the main protagonists was off the charts, and so was the sex. If you’ve read any of my other reviews you know how big a deal this is to me. I liked the built-up. I felt her confusion just as strong as his need to be close to her. He weaseled his way into her thoughts and had her smiling. She deserved a reason to smile after what she’d been through.
Two of the secondary characters I found very interesting. Not knowing if they could be trusted made it all the more gripping. I won’t tell you who I’m talking about, though.
It was a quick, but satisfying read. The plot had depth (expect a few surprising twists and turns) and the characters were, for the most part, well developed. The book lived up to its synopsis - better yet - the synopsis, unlike many others, was spot-on. The first-person narrative (Connie’s point of view) was a great choice. It added to Rurik’s mysteriousness. Same goes for the setting. Budapest! Kudos to Nicholas!
However, I felt like things were moving too fast in the end. A few more pages to help me with my confusion about the true intentions of everyone would’ve been awesome. As it was I had to go back and reread a few passages to get everything straightened out in my head. The wrap-up regarding Connie’s and Rurik’s future was a bit rushed as well. Would’ve loved to learn more about what’s in store for them (and the others). The epilogue could’ve contained some kind of forecast to make the reader itch for the second book in the series.
Also, I didn’t know what to make of Colby. The character lacked something…something I couldn’t put my finger on. Nonetheless, I very much enjoyed this read.
4 stars to Bait by Annie Nicholas!
Beware of Spoilers!
A few of my favorite quotes for those of you who are interested:
° “Time I hooked me a monster and reeled him in…”
° “His phenomenal packaging must only be skin deep…”
° “I shut my mouth before I caught flies and checked for drool.”
° “I liked Rurik. He made me at ease with myself, he’d taken care of me, and I mentally kicked myself in the ass, he possibly killed a bunch of people.”
° “Budapest’s sexiest creature wore his insecurities on his sleeve.”
March 30, 2017
Live bait makes all the difference.
Connie Bence is sent out into the hotspots of Budapest in an effort to trap and kill the city’s vampire overload, Rurik. Connie’s employer has proof that Rurik is a ruthless killer and needs to be taken down. However, after Connie finds herself in a situation more dangerous than expected, Rurik offers her his protection and rescues her from his own kind. Now, she has to decide if she’s going to trust him or lead him to his death.
The story is fast-paced and a fun read. It has a few laugh out loud moments as well as ones that make you groan as you can’t believe the heroine can be so stupid. In addition, it included one of my pet peeves – insta-attraction. I can get on board with instant lust, but head-over-heels in love in a matter of days…really? However, overall, the good outweighed the bad and made for a quick and interesting read. There are 2 more in the series and I plan to read those as well.
Rating: 3.75
Connie Bence is sent out into the hotspots of Budapest in an effort to trap and kill the city’s vampire overload, Rurik. Connie’s employer has proof that Rurik is a ruthless killer and needs to be taken down. However, after Connie finds herself in a situation more dangerous than expected, Rurik offers her his protection and rescues her from his own kind. Now, she has to decide if she’s going to trust him or lead him to his death.
The story is fast-paced and a fun read. It has a few laugh out loud moments as well as ones that make you groan as you can’t believe the heroine can be so stupid. In addition, it included one of my pet peeves – insta-attraction. I can get on board with instant lust, but head-over-heels in love in a matter of days…really? However, overall, the good outweighed the bad and made for a quick and interesting read. There are 2 more in the series and I plan to read those as well.
Rating: 3.75
May 9, 2013
The page count was doubled for half of the book. Not a mortal sin, but weird and seems like it should be an easy fix. Each of my e-reader's page flips counted for two (on average; it was inconsistent) pages, so this (nearly) 600-page book should have been more in the 300 range, give or take the first chapter of the next book, which was also included. More of a heads-up than a real complaint, and nothing to do with the author, just the Barnes & Noble digital copy.
As for the story itself, it started out...okay. There are a number of variations on this theme, which does speak to the popularity of the Normal Girl Seduced By Exotic Older Dude trope. To its credit, despite being surrounded by varying degrees of alpha males, the love interest wasn't the most alpha of them. Rurik tended toward being more sensitive toward Connie's needs and emotions (except for that whole part where he serves her up on a silver platter, you know...that was politics, so it doesn't count, right?) and more respectful than anyone else jabbering in the heroine's ear. Mostly.
However, this story could have been alternately titled: Connie And The Guys. Technically there was another woman in the story, but she was the cardboard cut-out competition for Connie, not a Real Person. (I could argue the same for the bad guy, really, but there's some debate over who the "bad guy" in this story really was.) There was hardly even the pretense of other women existing for the heroine at all, except in passing. I can't decide if this indicates how Connie sees the world, or a general failure on the author's part to give much beyond surface thought to any but the primary three characters.
For all this, and the sins of stylistic issues (which can be interpreted as being as much my own problem as the author's) and the occasional misuse of a homonym or just poor editing, I was prepared to give it three stars until the last few chapters. Not only did the editing clearly fall apart (several references to a "shiny baldhead" rather than a bald head, for starters), but the sentence structure, the action, the dialogue, and descriptions just seemed clunky and disjointed. It felt like the book was far more polished and careful at first, but the last third or so was a rush to get the manuscript submitted and got only a rough sanding of edges. I don't want to go into too much detail for the sake of spoilers; I simply felt the ending needed work, from plot to phrasing.
Do people really use each others' names every other time they speak to one another? Am I an anomaly?
I suppose it doesn't matter too terribly, since I received this book as a freebie on one of B&N's Freebie Fridays.
As for the story itself, it started out...okay. There are a number of variations on this theme, which does speak to the popularity of the Normal Girl Seduced By Exotic Older Dude trope. To its credit, despite being surrounded by varying degrees of alpha males, the love interest wasn't the most alpha of them. Rurik tended toward being more sensitive toward Connie's needs and emotions (except for that whole part where he serves her up on a silver platter, you know...that was politics, so it doesn't count, right?) and more respectful than anyone else jabbering in the heroine's ear. Mostly.
However, this story could have been alternately titled: Connie And The Guys. Technically there was another woman in the story, but she was the cardboard cut-out competition for Connie, not a Real Person. (I could argue the same for the bad guy, really, but there's some debate over who the "bad guy" in this story really was.) There was hardly even the pretense of other women existing for the heroine at all, except in passing. I can't decide if this indicates how Connie sees the world, or a general failure on the author's part to give much beyond surface thought to any but the primary three characters.
For all this, and the sins of stylistic issues (which can be interpreted as being as much my own problem as the author's) and the occasional misuse of a homonym or just poor editing, I was prepared to give it three stars until the last few chapters. Not only did the editing clearly fall apart (several references to a "shiny baldhead" rather than a bald head, for starters), but the sentence structure, the action, the dialogue, and descriptions just seemed clunky and disjointed. It felt like the book was far more polished and careful at first, but the last third or so was a rush to get the manuscript submitted and got only a rough sanding of edges. I don't want to go into too much detail for the sake of spoilers; I simply felt the ending needed work, from plot to phrasing.
Do people really use each others' names every other time they speak to one another? Am I an anomaly?
I suppose it doesn't matter too terribly, since I received this book as a freebie on one of B&N's Freebie Fridays.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2014
ARC generously provided by publisher via Netgalley.
Five, run rabbit run, stars.
Connie was lost. After her husband lost his battle with cancer she found herself lost in a bottle with no way out. Then she met Colby and learned of the existence of vampires. Now Connie's job is live bait. She works for Colby who is a slayer. He is hired to get rid of vampires who have committed some type of crime. Connie lures them in, her internal sadness is intoxicating to them, and Colby stakes them.
Connie finds herself in Budapest to lure in Rurik, a very well known strong vampire. She finds him but what she doesn't expect is for him to drug her or protect her. Connie is torn between how she is drawn to Rurik and her loyalties to her slayer group. Soon she finds herself engulfed in the vampire world and doing whatever she could to protect Rurik. She isn't really sure who she can trust but all she knows to be true is what is in her heart.
I loved Connie, no she is not a tough ball buster type heroine, but she is strong is spirit and in her beliefs. You also can't help but to love Rurik and his mysterious ways and then she learns of an elite set of vampire that scare even their own kind much less Connie. She may be a weak human but she as well as the others soon learn she is a very important character. If you love vampire books I strongly recommend this one.
Five, run rabbit run, stars.
Connie was lost. After her husband lost his battle with cancer she found herself lost in a bottle with no way out. Then she met Colby and learned of the existence of vampires. Now Connie's job is live bait. She works for Colby who is a slayer. He is hired to get rid of vampires who have committed some type of crime. Connie lures them in, her internal sadness is intoxicating to them, and Colby stakes them.
Connie finds herself in Budapest to lure in Rurik, a very well known strong vampire. She finds him but what she doesn't expect is for him to drug her or protect her. Connie is torn between how she is drawn to Rurik and her loyalties to her slayer group. Soon she finds herself engulfed in the vampire world and doing whatever she could to protect Rurik. She isn't really sure who she can trust but all she knows to be true is what is in her heart.
I loved Connie, no she is not a tough ball buster type heroine, but she is strong is spirit and in her beliefs. You also can't help but to love Rurik and his mysterious ways and then she learns of an elite set of vampire that scare even their own kind much less Connie. She may be a weak human but she as well as the others soon learn she is a very important character. If you love vampire books I strongly recommend this one.
August 3, 2011
That’s not to say all self-published books are bad. I quite enjoyed this next one. Again, a couple of niggles with spelling and grammar, but nothing unforgivable. The story was excellent, the hero was hot, and I found the world-building fascinating.
Our heroine, Connie (aka, “Rabbit”), acts as bait to lure out vampires so the team of hunters she works with can kill them. During a hunt gone wrong, Rabbit finds herself falling in love with one of the vampires—Rurik, master of Budapest—and is soon involved in some vampire politics, deceptions, and a plot to unseat Rurik so that some far nastier vamps can take over.
This was quite enjoyable. The scene with Rabbit and Rurik in the baths with the hair-pulling… *fans self* This is a cute, decently plotted story with enough twists and turns to keep me engaged from start to finish.
I’ve started on the sequel, CATCH, and am finding it just as enjoyable as the first one. If you like sexy vampire PNRs, you should enjoy these, too.
Our heroine, Connie (aka, “Rabbit”), acts as bait to lure out vampires so the team of hunters she works with can kill them. During a hunt gone wrong, Rabbit finds herself falling in love with one of the vampires—Rurik, master of Budapest—and is soon involved in some vampire politics, deceptions, and a plot to unseat Rurik so that some far nastier vamps can take over.
This was quite enjoyable. The scene with Rabbit and Rurik in the baths with the hair-pulling… *fans self* This is a cute, decently plotted story with enough twists and turns to keep me engaged from start to finish.
I’ve started on the sequel, CATCH, and am finding it just as enjoyable as the first one. If you like sexy vampire PNRs, you should enjoy these, too.
October 30, 2012
I enjoyed this book, there were a few things I thought were a little odd, such as Rurik not questioning Connie's acceptance of vampires, it seemed to me he should have found it odd that she didn't freak out or question him at all if their existence is supposed to be a secret.
I also found Connie a little hard to follow at times; there were a couple points in the book where her emotions flip flopped and I thought it was strange, but with those minors issues aside I thought it was a good book well thought out plot with plenty of fun twist. I will say the romance was a little light but the story made up for it. I would suggest picking this one up. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
I also found Connie a little hard to follow at times; there were a couple points in the book where her emotions flip flopped and I thought it was strange, but with those minors issues aside I thought it was a good book well thought out plot with plenty of fun twist. I will say the romance was a little light but the story made up for it. I would suggest picking this one up. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
February 13, 2014
This one just didn't really do anything for me. The story flowed just enough to carry me through to the ending but not enough to make me want to read the rest of the series. It felt like the author didn't want to delve too far into the characters to tell us the "why". Why they do what they do, why they fall in love...where's the why?? I need to know. Oh well. It's out of my kindle TBR pile now.
May 16, 2013
Ok I give this book 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. It is just good old fashioned vampire smut. Excellent smut. Good story. Likeable and hate-able characters.
Ending left room for a sequel/series and I see that there is one, so yay for me!
THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT A YOUNG ADULT BOOK. VERY MATURE CONTENT, SO TAKE CARE OF WHO READS IT!
Don't say I didn't warn you.
Ending left room for a sequel/series and I see that there is one, so yay for me!
THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT A YOUNG ADULT BOOK. VERY MATURE CONTENT, SO TAKE CARE OF WHO READS IT!
Don't say I didn't warn you.
April 11, 2012
Bello bello, avevo letto per prima il secondo e sono "tornata indietro" per leggere questo che non mi ha deluso, non i soliti vampiri, non la solita storia d'amore e non la solita eroina cazzutissima, uno spettacolo di libro!
February 24, 2016
Yes the writing is good. Yes, the story is good. It just drags on though. and at first there is amazing chemistry between the 2 main characters but then it fizzles out and I can see is due to the author staying more involved in the plot. Wanted to like it more but I lost interest
June 12, 2016
3.5 stars. This reminds me a lot of another vampire series I read (and loved) not long back. Even though the story seems eerily familiar I rather enjoyed this little romp through the land of vampires. I bought the rest of the series so I hope that the other stories are as much fun as this one!
January 16, 2013
An excellent, exciting, sensual and suspenseful paranormal romance presented as only Annie Nicholas can. Any fan of the genre will find Bait very hard to put down once you get started.
July 20, 2012
Not what I was expecting at all from a freebie, absolutely loved it! The writing was great! Kept my attention and I really felt for Connie and Rurik, great book! Can't wait for the next one!
June 4, 2015
pretty much an average read - but still it held my attention.
April 18, 2015
I really enjoyed this book! Very fast paced, interesting characters, and an overall great story.
December 15, 2010
LOVED this one.
March 7, 2018
I don't really know how I feel about this book.. It is the first book in a really long time that got me reading in a sitting. It is very predictable, and I had to roll my eyes a couple of times in the beginning, but still, I was not able to put it down. I can't quite put my finger on it, but something had me hooked from the beginning. Maybe its the location in the book, Budapest, or the fact that Connie is putting herself out there as a bait, knowing very well the danger, but being brave enough to do what she thinks is the right thing. Or maybe the fact that Rurick is actually sweet, from the very beginning, instead of the whole douchebag cliché. I am not really sure what I liked, but I did.
Now the question is: am I going to keep reading the series? So am I going to read Catch? Right now, I think I will give it a shot. We'll see if I actually finish it with good feelings.
Now the question is: am I going to keep reading the series? So am I going to read Catch? Right now, I think I will give it a shot. We'll see if I actually finish it with good feelings.
January 15, 2018
A decent read if you just need some quick, good ol’ guilty pleasure reading. Sexy vampires abound, and the heroine is fairly likable. One can’t help but notice the single main female character; surrounded by handsome, hunky men; with zero other strong, sexy female characters. The only other women that feature are grey-haired maternal figures and a psycho dominatrix (who of course is described to be sexier than the main character, but is universally despised by all the male characters). Scared of competition much?
My odd quirk for falling for the bad guy; even amongst bad guys; has managed to strike again. Dragos’ the biggest, scariest mofo that everyone’s out to kill is the one male character I wouldn’t mind reading more about.... Instead we focus on barely threatening Rurik with some smatterings of Tane, a.k.a Dragos Jr.
The series apparently continues to include some sort of ménage a trois; which while not inherently bad or even uninteresting; is still an odd way for this particular relationship to progress for me. This book was free, so unless someone gifts me the others in the series, I’m not looking to spend money to read further.
My odd quirk for falling for the bad guy; even amongst bad guys; has managed to strike again. Dragos’ the biggest, scariest mofo that everyone’s out to kill is the one male character I wouldn’t mind reading more about.... Instead we focus on barely threatening Rurik with some smatterings of Tane, a.k.a Dragos Jr.
The series apparently continues to include some sort of ménage a trois; which while not inherently bad or even uninteresting; is still an odd way for this particular relationship to progress for me. This book was free, so unless someone gifts me the others in the series, I’m not looking to spend money to read further.
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