LADY & THE VAMP

Author: Michelle Rowan ISBN: 0446618632 4/2008 PARANORMAL Publisher: GRAND CENTRAL

She fights. Janie Parker's a supernatural assassin—not by choice, but what's a girl gonna do? The only thing standing between her and decapitation at the hands of her hellish boss is an artifact called The Eye. To get it, all Janie has to do is find a dark, broody vampire named Michael Quinn and take it. Easy, right? Except if Quinn keeps kissing her that way, she just might lose her head...in more ways than one. He bites. Former vampire hunter Michael Quinn is determined to become human again. If he grabs hold of The Eye and makes a wish-then boom, everything's good with the world again. But now Quinn has a sassy tagalong with a long, delectable neck and orders to stake him on sight. He just hopes his first bite won't be Janie's last moment on earth...

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

As much as I love Michelle Rowen's humor, LADY & THE VAMP is not as good as BITTEN AND SMITTEN, or FANGED AND FABULOUS. The jokes are not as plentiful, the sexual tension not as hot, and the plot not as engaging as the previous books. Plus, I miss Sarah. But, I still like it and still consider it a fast, easy-going-down read.

The strange stories floating around Rowen's head are wonderful to be privy too, so kudos to her for creativity with the setting and oddness of the plot. She also gives me a decent hero to enjoy in the form of Quinn. I love how he struggles to come to grips with himself and those he thinks he understands. I just wish those two things meshed better with a heroine I do not exactly love, and some of the other stuff I find out of place.

Despite some of what I have said, LADY & THE VAMP is still a good offering.

Shannon Johnson