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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Zany Vampire Tale, August 17, 2007
Judging from all accounts, the vampire romance novel is here to stay for a good long time. As with any other venue, there will be some good practitioners and some who also ran.
After reading FANGED & FABULOUS, Michelle Rowen's second novel about new vampire Sarah Dearly, I'm inclined to believe that the author and heroine are both going to be around for a bit. Or a bite.
Rowen drinks deeply in the same vein (and I've got to stop that soon) that MaryJanice Davidson (UNDEAD AND UNEMPLOYED) does. In Rowen's world, as in Davidson's, vampires are a many-splendored thing, but not necessarily to always be taken seriously.
Sarah Dearly is a riot and a mess, a combination which always seems to strike gold in the romance market. In the previous novel, BITTEN & SMITTEN, Sarah was turned into a vampire by a blind date and very nearly killed by vampire hunters. She also became the lover of an ancient vampire named Thierry de Bennicoeur, who apparently wants to keep Sarah at arm's distance. During the events of that novel, she ended up becoming known as the Slayer of Slayers, a reputation that guarantees her eternal enmity with the vampire slayers stalking her kind - but it also kind of serves to keep them at arm's distances as well.
The new novel brings Sarah a lot of problems. Her relationship with Thierry isn't going well. To make matters even worse, she seems to be getting along better with her lover's wife than her lover (there's a definite problem with getting a divorce when you're a vampire, as Sarah discovers). And there's only so much sympathy Sarah can take from the wife before she's ready to snap.
To complicate things further, Sarah is also invited into the inner circle of vampires, called the Ring, by another ancient vampire, Nicolai. It doesn't help that Nicolai seems to be at odds with Thierry for reasons known only to them.
Then someone blows up Sarah's apartment. She loses her "shard," a mystical object that is the only way she has of seeing her reflection (she can't even check her look without it and has to depend on the honesty of her friends!), a pair of secondhand Pradas that were to die for, and all her other belongings.
With her vulnerability brought into sharp focus, and wanting to do a little butt-kicking in revenge, Sarah starts taking self-defense lessons from the two bodyguards Thierry assigns to keep watch over her. But even as she starts learning to take care of herself, things take another turn for the worse when Gideon Chase - the master hunter of the vampire slayers - locks onto her trail and determines to stake her himself.
Rowen keeps the book moving along quickly. Her wry humor is a lot like Davidsons, and readers of both series may enjoy the resonance between the books or be disturbed by it, but she's definitely one to read as the vampire romance novels start getting a bit long in the tooth. (Sorry. Compulsive.)
The plot circles a little bit before striking out into new territory, but the scenery is pleasant and the company is good. FANGED & FABULOUS is only Rowen's third novel, so she's entitled to spend some time sharpening her craft. However, she's off to an outstanding start and I'm eagerly awaiting her next books.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
As charming as the first book, July 12, 2007
I'm a big fan of Michelle Rowen's funny, self-deprecating humor, so when FANGED & FABULOUS came out, I had to get it. Don't let the back cover fool you - this book is less about a love triangle between Sarah and her men as it is about Sarah growing as a person/vampire. That being said, I went into this expecting the love triangle, but I was not disappointed in the slightest.
FANGED AND FABULOUS starts out with Sarah Dearly trying to enjoy a jog, when she's attacked by a vampire slayer. He backs off once he realizes exactly who she is - the Slayer of Slayers (or so he thinks). This starts a whole chain reaction in the vampire community - those that aren't terrified of Sarah want to kill her just to prove they can. Given that Sarah's generally incompetent, this poses a big problem for her.
To add to Sarah's problems, Quinn is professing love for her, and Thierry keeps pushing her away. What's a girl to do? Not the expected, that's for sure.
This is a light-hearted, very fun romp of a novel. It's not dark and angsty and full of soul-mates, so if you are looking for something more 'serious' than BITTEN & SMITTEN (the first novel), you'd best look elsewhere. However, this is a book that is pure breezy fun, and I found myself laughing aloud in several spots.
Fun, frisky read. Looking forward to her next book, LADY AND THE VAMP.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
You're going to love this paranormal romance, July 16, 2007
Sarah Dearly never asked to be turned into a vampire, and all she had wanted was her normal life back. However, the month before she was turned into a vampire by a bad blind date. Then, by total accident, she started a war between the "adorable, pointy-toothed bunnies" and the vampire hunters who have nicknamed her the Slayer of Slayers. Sarah didn't want this reputation; she doesn't want to be constantly hunted by vampires and slayers like a "monster in a video game." She just wants a normal immortal life with her vampire boyfriend! Was that too much to ask for?
Sarah has just received a job offer from another ancient vampire named Nicolai, who has a long- standing rivalry with her current boyfriend, Thierry. Since Sarah is the "Slayer of Slayers," Nicolai would like her to join a vampire organization called The Ring, a group of vampire counseling elders.
That evening Sarah's apartment blows up, she loses her "shard," the only thing she can actually see her reflection in, and her second-hand pair of Pradas. All she's left with is her ratty bathrobe and a pair of fuzzy pink slippers. Good friends George takes her and her werewolf dog, Barkley. Never mind the boyfriend who keeps blowing her off more and more as time goes on, along with her hot-fanged friend, Quinn who is trying to turn her self-defense lessons into make-out sessions.
Now someone's killing vampires, vampire hunters and humans, bodies drained of blood, with puncture marks on their necks. Two bodyguards hired by her 600-year-old vamp boyfriend are following her. Then she finds out the leader of all the vampire slayers, Gideon Chase is hot on her tail, too. What's a vampire to do?
This book is a funny and witty tale of a "baby" vampire who isn't exactly thrilled of her new "condition." I laughed out loud all through the book. The dialogue by this bestselling author is sarcastic and hilarious and the characters will leave you waiting impatiently for the next installment. This is the sequel to Bitten & Smitten, and I enjoyed reconnecting with those characters and seeing how their lives have changed since Sarah's transformation.
Armchair Interviews says: If you like paranormal romances, you're going to love Fanged & Fabulous!
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