Book Review: Single White Vampire (Lynsay Sands)

A romance you can sink your teeth into.

S.W.M. - "Lucern." Successful biographer of family, books recently categorized as "paranormal romance." Something of a recluse. Hates crowds, aggressive women. Doesn't like sunbathing, garlicky dinners or religious symbols. Likes old-fashioned values; spicy Mexican dishes; warm, nice-smelling neck; and plump red lips. Stronger than ten men and can vanish in the blink of an eye. Currently unaware he's seeking a woman to share eternity.

S.W.F. - "Kate C. Leever." Newest editor of Romance at Roundhouse Publishing. Perky, fun. Has recently discovered a legacy author just dying to be broken out. In fact, her career could take off from it. (The tall, dark, handsome writer just needs to be taken to several romance conventions and introduced to his fans . . . and stopped from acting so strange in public.) Dislikes "difficult, rude, obnoxious, pig-headed writers." Currently she's met the man of her wildest dreams.


Oh dear.

There is something in the dysfuntional Argeneau family that is strongly magnetic, and I doubt it's solely due to the fact that they are centuries-old vampires. They are so fun to read, so entertaining to spend a sunny afternoon with and so devastatingly hilarious I find it hard to part with them everytime I finish reading an Argeneau book. Single White Vampire (SWV), the third in the series, is my current favourite.

I have read and reviewed its predecessor, Love Bites, and that revived my thirst for reading and for more Argeneau moments. I have wanted to get my hands on SWV since I first read its prologue, which consists of the funniest correspondence I have ever come across!

This book is still to be beaten at the top of 'most hilarious book' list. Combine an independent, aggressive and slightly bossy twenty-first century editor with a grumpy, obnoxious, reclusive vampire writer, sprinkle them with the melodramatic Argeneau clan (spearheaded by the match-making matriarch) and dump them in a romance conference, and there is neverending hilarity. I love it.

The characters are so distinct and expertly perfected. Lucern Argeneau, our grumpy vampire, is the autobiographer of the family. A published writer loved by many women, he is reluctant to embrace his fame. He dislikes television, day dreams of sucking some juicy neck and dislikes his bossy editor, Kate Leever. The said Kate is forcing him to attend a romance conference, and he sure as hell isn't going to. Their tug of war romance is full of everything nice, of seduction and of stolen 'necessity-driven' moments. Fun.

It's hard to dislike a book this funny - but, there are some flaws that, if corrected, would give this book an edge over many. Lynsay Sands' vampire lore is already solid; it's the plot in each book that makes a difference. Firstly, though the romance in SWV was fun to read, it seemed a little abrupt to me. Nothing major, but there was no gradual change of heart (at least for Lucern, but really he's an oldie, so...), that slow transition from hate to love that I crave for in a romance novel. There was not much action sequences in this book, but heck, it totally failed when it did come up. Made the book a lot more hilarious.

Overall, the perfect paranormal romantic comedy. Of course, if you love the Argeneau family as much as I do, it's totally unmissable!

Read it when you're looking for a book that's funny as hell.

Four Stars.


* I received this book for review. Thank you publishers!