Customer Reviews

Hungry For You: An Argeneau Novel

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Alex Willan is attempting to open a new restaurant but nothing seems to be going right for the oldest Willan sister. From electrical fires to wrong carpet, tile and paint Alex doesn't know if she'll open up her restaurant or go bankrupt first. Her latest problem has her scrambling to find a new head chef after her competitor draws him away with a promise of more money. While on the phone with her sister Sam who called to tell her about another man who Alex must meet, Alex tells her sister her problem and learns she has the solution. The man who Sam wants her to meet just so happens to be a chef from Europe.

Cale Valens was under the impression that his aunt Marguerite wanted him to visit Canada to spend time with the family but her real reason for luring him from Europe was to meet Alex. She believes Alex is Cale's life mate. Having waited his whole life to meet his destined female, Cale agrees to be Alex's chef. One problem. Cale hasn't eaten or cooked food in two thousand years but he will do anything to stay close to Alex. As Cale starts to look into the real reason for Alex's run of bad luck, he will also need to quickly learn how to cook. That is after he learns how to turn on the stove and find out exactly what a spatula is.

Alex is a driven, intelligent woman who just wants to open up her new restaurant but has run into one problem after another. She didn't think she would find her solution in one of the men her sister thinks she should meet. Cale is gorgeous, smart, funny and a great employee and Alex does her best to keep their relationship strictly professional. After a very erotic dream Alex can no longer keep her hands off of him and soon realizes she has lost more than her self control but also her heart. I applaud Alex's restraint because there is no way I could have kept my hands off of Cale. He is everything you'd want and more in a man. What has her holding back is a bad relationship that left her with a broken heart. I couldn't help but feel for her over this and I was glad that Cale held back and took his time with Alex. He was also a lot more honest and upfront with Alex than a lot of the other male vampires were when they found their human mates. He was everything Alex needed him to be. Alex in turn filled a void in Cale's life that most immortals feel after living so long. They were a great couple because you know they love each other without it being shoved in your face.

Figuring out why Alex was having such bad luck with opening her new restaurant was pretty easy to figure out early on but that didn't stop me from enjoying this book. Alex and Cale are a sweet and sexy couple. I'm glad for them but I'm also glad for Alex's sister Sam because she has introduced her sisters to every immortal male she came across in hopes they too would be mates like her and Mortimer (their story can be found in The Rogue Hunter). One of my favorites Justin Bricker is back and just as hilarious as ever. I know I said this in my review for Born To Bite but I really hope this man gets a book. I'd love to read more of him. I really liked Hungry For You because it had the same feel as the earlier book in the Argeneau series that the last few books have been missing. It was light and funny with a romance that is perfect for paranormal lovers. I think fans who have been with this series since the beginning will like the latest installment.

I've given the book a rating on the basis of the story, as it is a great addition to the continuing series. For years I have enjoyed the Argeneau's and their friends as they find love. Thank you Lyndsay Sands for another great story. Cale and Alex do not disappoint!

For those who intend to purchase the book on Kindle, you should know that the poor kindle formatting about which I originally commented has been corrected! I'm not sure if the corrections are due to Amazon or the publisher but it is nice that we were pushed a corrected version.

(I had said originally that you should be aware that the publisher obviously didn't take the time to be sure the product they produced was of good quality. There are several places where spaces between words have been omitted. Simply put, the ommissions detract from the reading experience. These are obvious mistakes that should have been caught by a simple spell check, much less a human proof reader. A quality reading experience is just as important to us Kindle readers as it is to those purchasing the book in print (especially when we pay the same price at release).)

I'm a huge Lynsay Sands fan, first off, and I adore the Argeneau series books. How the main characters meet in this book is a humorous, cute twist, but I found the chemistry lacking at times between them. I think because of the way they meet, it feels a bit too contrived at times, as if the characters are forcing themselves to like the other, even though there is much to like about Cale. Usually, I adore the whole soul mate theme in Sands books, but something didn't click for me here. Cale is a very appealing lead - ancient, bored, and all but given up on finding his one true mate. He's willing to die for his life mate and does indeed put himself in harm's way to protect Alexandra.

But the female character, Alexandra, a chef, bothered me. Alexandra, to me, is a bit too career focused and never appeared truly to want to have a significant other. I have no problem with career-oriented females, but this one didn't seem to want a man in her life at all - men were an afterthought for her and her work was all-consuming. As a jaded woman, she turned her attention to work, which seems plausible. The problem, as I saw it, is she never decided she wanted a man in her life and had Cale thrust at her. It felt forced and even up until the end she still, for me, seemed to fall for Cale simply because he was the one around and they had great sex. Cale's family/friends even went so far as to use mind control to aid in their relationship. Sands never offered a solid reason for Alexandra to fall for him, over her work and over all others - I just didn't feel their chemistry, but perhaps it was more the "restaurant" setting and jaded, career focused, female that didn't work for me. It was okay, and I still adore Sands and her Argeneau clan, but prefer her later books in this series.

I've always liked Lynsay Sands' writing and enjoyed her novels but this one is BORING. She writes meticulously about the heroines day to the point that I thought we were going to listen to endless ramlings about her going to the bathroom. I skipped half the book - flipping to interesting bits here and there. At one point the heroine is hit over the head and dragged across the parking lot (possibly to be raped) but the assiliant is stopped by her co-worker pulling up in her car. The absolute deadness and lack of emotion of the entire passage made it feel like the writer threw it in for a conflict but couldn't have cared less. I was getting so angry at the utter waste of my time during most of this book but kept reading thinking it was going to get better (and because I has just spent $7. on the book). If you feel you need to read this to continue the series - go ahead but buy it used or better yet - skip it.

I thoroughly enjoyed Sam's and Jo's stories, so I anticipated the same for their middle sis, Alex. The big difference: Sam and Jo were Rogue Hunter Novels (more action and less day-to-day hum drum). Alex's story waned. I didn't want to read about a vampire solving paint problems and delivery issues for a mortal chef who was being sabotaged by her jilted, mortal ex. I finally started skipping parts, just hoping for a bit of intrigue or heat, but it proved more of the same. Now don't get wrong--for those of you who enjoy the more comical, light & easy read, this may be for you (although it lacked humor). I prefer the fast-moving, intense page turner. I'll definitely stick with Sands' Rogue Hunter Novels. *SPOILER* The one plus: at least Sam gave up her fear of turning and joined Mortimer into eternity.

I found myself skimming pages of this just to get through it, barely interested enough to want to find out how it ended. The cooking skills of the two main characters seemed to be the biggest concern of the author in telling her tale.

When there is over 4 pages on using a microwave..makes you wonder if the author is running out of imagination. I've read many books and will give the good books a high rating, but I had to rate this one low. It was a slow read and I caught myself yawning quite a bit while reading this story.

Lynsay Sands...is awesome!!

Looove the Argeneau Family antics...Marguerite and her match making ways are perfect, she gets them all the time and they really don't have a clue until it is brought up at a later date and then they are just shocked.

Lynsay Sands novels are spicy, adventurous, and suspenseful.

Someone has been trying to sabotage Alex Willan's grand opening of her restaurant. Nothing had been going the way it was suppose to. Jobs not being completed due to wrong materials or they were installed wrong, electrical fires, and her head chef quitting without notice- to go work for her competitor. She just didn't have time for her sister to meddle in her love life...or lack of it. But, when Sam informed her that the man she wanted Alex to meet was a chef coming from Europe, Alex agreed to the meeting.

Cale Valens only agreed to meet Alex as a favor to Marguerite. She believed he and Alex were destined to be life mates. When he mentioned that little tibit to Sam, she was instantly excited and immediately arranged a meeting. Calen didn't know where Sam got the idea to lie to her sister about him being a chef, especially since the smell of food irritated him and he hadn't eaten or cooked in about two thousand years. But, when he discovered that he couldn't read Alex's mind and that she was indeed destined to be his life mate, he decided to fake it. That is of course with Bricker's help. Between the two of them, they manage to pull off the illusion long enough for Alex to discover that Cale was more suited for the business end of the restaurant, which eventually worked out better. Cale saw to the workers and the suppliers and she did what she loved best....cook.

I really enjoyed Alex's character...although, I confess I think she might have been a bit too career oriented for my liking. I understood her passion, motivation and determination...but there were moments where it all felt forced. I also enjoyed Cale's character. While Alex was a dreamer and creative, Cale was practical and political. He made a great businessman. I also loved that he was intelligent, but he also seemed innocent when it came to relationships and although he was ancient, he still had alot to learn. I liked that vulnerability about him. The chemistry between Alex and Cale was undeniable ...that was when Alex actually relaxed a little and went with it. When Alex discovered Cale's secret, she acted completely different than I expected she would. Frankly, it pissed me off. But, then I kinda giggled over her trying to rescue Sam for a moment, then went back to being pissed at her.

The supporting characters are always great in this series. Each book adds layers of depth and personality to each of them. I love when they get together, it always feels like a family reunion. It was nice to see the Willan Sisters come together again. I absolutely love Bricker. He has always held my curiosity. I love his wit, charm and talent for stating the obvious. He reminds me alot of Thomas. I can't wait until he gets his own story. Marguerite is classy as always.

Overall, this is a classic Lynsay Sands book. Like the other books in this series, it doesn't focus so much on the plot, it centers more around the members of the Argeneau family and their friends. Hungry For You is light-hearted, fun loving, and a sexy read.

This book had its good and bad points. First off, a 2000 year old immortal (they don't like to be called vampires) who has not cooked in centuries, can not stand the smell or taste of food and usually goes out of his way to avoid it, is not only set up with but a restaurant owner but is hired to be a chef (did I mention he can't cook, much less can turn on a stove or work a microwave?). I laughed through the whole thing, including Cale trying to use the microwave and Alex trying to slay a vampire with a wooden spoon.

On the flip side, this couple didn't seem to have much chemistry and the whole family had to get them together in one fashion or another, including one immortal rearranging Alex's emotions (seemed like a cop out to me). In the end, the couple did not seem to be genuinely in love, more like `we're life mates? Ok'.

Over all this book kept me laughing, and that in itself was worth the read.