Customer Reviews

One Bite With A Stranger (The Others, Book 6)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

A few years ago, Warren wrote a series of erotic romance books for Ellora's Cave called the "Fixed" series. It revolved around a group of friends who take turns getting "fixed up" to live their fantasies. "One Bite With a Stranger" is a rewrite of the first story, Fantasy Fix (Fixed, Book 1) . You can read the reviews here on Amazon under that title and they were a lot better than for this title, even though they are almost the same book.

I liked this story when I first read it six years ago as "Fantasy Fix", and liked it again now. It was almost word for word the same, except for the conflict with an ex-fiance. I won't rehash the plot, as others have already done so, but I'd like to put the book in perspective for those of you who have already read the "Others" series and bought this thinking it was a progression in the series.

If you read this book thinking it will be a continuation of the "Others," you will be disappointed. It is a prequel, sort of like how Star Wars went 4-5-6-1-2-3. You will recognize some of the characters in this book, especially Missy, Graham, and Rafe, who still appear in the "Others" books. It will make more sense when you read the other "Fixed" books. This may not be the best book in the series, but like a piece of a puzzle it gives a clearer image of the overall picture. It will also be a good introduction to Ava (a strong personality), who will be the heroine of the next "Others" book "You're So Vein."

Here are the "Fixed" books in order, and some may still be available at Ellora's Cave in ebook format:
1. One Bite With a Stranger (formerly Fantasy Fix): Regina and Misha
Introduces Regina's friends: Missy, Danice, Corinne, and Ava
Introduces Misha's friends: Graham, Logan, Rafe
2. Fur Factor: Missy and Graham (seriously steamy)
3. Faer Fetched (a short story): Danice and Mac
4. Fighting Faer: Corinne and Luc : about the "incident a few years ago" involving Fiona's cousin, referred to in "She's No Faerie Princess," that brought "the wrath of Mab down on the head of the Others"
5. Fur For All: Rafe and Tess : laugh out loud funny, one of my favorites
6. Fur Play: Logan (Graham's Beta then, who moved to Connecticut) and Honor

Ava's story will be next and I can hardly wait! I've been waiting six years for her to finally get her story!! She was the only one of the five friends who hadn't found love in the "Fixed" series. Finally!!!

For months now, Regina's friends have been indulging in a sexual fantasy game they have dubbed "Fantasy Fix". They all have to put their most secret sexual fantasies in a hat and after a fantasy is picked, the friends must do their best to find a guy who can fulfill it for them. After evading her turn for as long as possible, her friends cheerfully coerce her to join their game. Thinking to make her fantasies as difficult as possible to fulfill, she smugly lists her 5 choices. A date with an alien, Bigfoot, Elvis or a vampire. And for her fifth fantasy? Well, she's honest with herself for once so she writes down, to be bound, spanked, and dominated by a sexy, commanding brute. (That's right, it's always the quiet ones.) Since the penalty for being unable to fulfill her fantasy is a month of celibacy, her friends wrack their brains and remember the Vampire Ball. They cheerfully drag her to it dressed in skintight black leather pants, stiletto boots and a corset. She should fit right in with the other leather clad goths milling around the ball, but to Dmitri Vidame, she definitely stands out from the crowd. Dmitri was on the hunt for a rogue vampire when he caught sight of the beautiful Regina. Reading her thoughts, he was amused by her lively mind and sharp wit and using a little vampire persuasion, quickly led her out of the club and back to her apartment. Regina's friends thoughtfully supplied her with a bag full of "implements" that they thought might come in handy for her wild night on the town and Dmitri makes quick work of it's contents. Before Regina knows what's happening, she's naked and bound to her bed and he's looking at her as if she's a tempting feast. Misha has been alive for over eight hundred years and never has he been so tempted by a woman before. He has finally found that elusive mate and he means to keep her. He tries to slowly introduce her to the fact that he's an eight hundred year old vampire, but when an Other targets her, he's got no choice but to show her what he is and hope that she doesn't freak out too badly because he has no intention of letting her go.

At first, Misha seemed too calmly composed during their first wild romp. He employs a very strict and commanding persona with her for their first time and it was a little off putting, to me at least. He soon warms up though and when he produces some toys, I thought this was going to be a seriously kinky ride. Luckily, or unluckily, those toys were just for show and Misha gives Regina the hottest, steamiest, most orgasm inducing night of her life. What began as a one time fantasy fix for her, became something permanent for both of them. He gives her space during the day, but at night, he comes back for more and more. Misha can read her thoughts and when he's away from her, he enjoys touching her mind. There he learns of her ex fiance and when he finds him attacking her, he's instantly on alert. It seems Regina wasn't as unaware of the Others as she thought but since Misha is the head of the Council of Others, he's more than equipped to see to her safety.

After their first wild sexual encounter, the sex between Misha and Regina tones down a little and becomes much more tender and loving, while still being quite thrilling. There is one hot opera scene that I just moved up to the top of my own fantasy list. Think of the rise of opera tickets! Misha was sexy and commanding, and just a touch intimidating when he wanted to be. He was also surprisingly funny and had a great sense of humor. Regina was shy and quiet but she too had a great sense of humor and a nice solid backbone when the occasion called for it. Regina's friends are concerned about her sudden involvement with the gorgeous Misha and when they find out he's a vampire, they try and stage an intervention. This book was a funny mix of the comical and the sensuous and was filled with interesting world building by Christine Warren. Enjoy!!

I waited anxiously for this book, another in The Other series by Warren. However, it was awful. I did not even finish it. Who would want to read about these two or even know them. Yuck. However, I would recommend that you buy the other The Other series books that lead up to this one as they are awesome. I hope this is not indicative of what is coming up next or else I will no longer be purchasing Warren's books.

I am really disappointed with this book. The Dimitri is totally creepy and all dominating...but not in a good way! This book is totallly cheesy and the sex scenes start out good but totally turn me off when he starts being all creepy and bossy and ordering her around...i'm sorry that does not make for a good romance novel! I don't even know if i will be able to finish its getting that bad...

Another paranormal story with vampires is the steamy romance by Christine Warren called One Bite With a Stranger. This book is an extended version of a title Christine originally published with Ellora's Cave called Fantasy Fix. Since this a romance and an extension of an her original novel, you can pretty much presume that there is going to be some hot loving going on. There is definitely some of that, but the way the two main characters act with each other, especially the way the hero claims his woman, gave me some good laughs. And I am not sure if those laughs are meant to be intentional.

Regina McNeill broke up with her sleazy ex-boyfriend after she found out he was boinking every women he could get his hands on. Her friends decide that Regina needs to find a new man to get her out of her slump, perhaps have some nice, hot sex since she hasn't had any in the last few months. Reggie's friends want her to act out her ultimate sexual fantasy, where a seductive and mysterious vampire will seduce her. Regina is a bit wary by what her girlfriends have up their sleeves, and they won't take no for an answer. So, Reggie ends up at a Goth nightclub where she will be set up with her vampire lover.

Reggie doesn't realize her mistake in being sought after by Dmitri Vidame, who is an actual real vampire and in charge of the Council of Others in New York City. He spots Reggie in the crowded club and decides he will make her his. Reggie falls for his smooth talking lines and since she assumes this is the guy her friends have set her up with, she takes Dmitri back home for a one night stand. Dmitri wants to overpower Reggie in the bedroom and gives her orders, where she will basically bow down to him as he helps her achieve the best orgasm she has ever had. Reggie, at first, isn't too happy the way Dmitri wants her to succumb to his dominance, but because he can make her "come" multiple times in a few minutes, she quickly allows Dmitri to have his wicked way with her.

Dmitri knows what Reggie wants since he can read her mind and tap into her darkest desires. And he soon realizes that Reggie is the one for him because, "He adored the taste of her, sweet and warm and spicy, like honey and cinnamon and the unique flavor that was Regina." And, "The taste of her filled him, overwhelmed him. Sweeter than the honey, hotter than her passion... He felt drunk on her essence. She intoxicated him like vodka, only sweeter. She welcomed him like springtime."

Isn't Dmitri such a poet?

Dmitri is so sure about Reggie that he bites her and drinks from her, thus claiming her as his immortal bride. Reggie has no clue about this claiming and is glad when he is gone in the morning, because after all, it was just a one-night stand between them. So what if Reggie hears Dmitri talking in her mind or shows up out of the blue while she on another date? She finds it annoying that all of a sudden Dmitri can talk to her this way or find her even though she never told him where she would be. Reggie thinks he is hot and great in the sack, but is not down with Dmitri being the possessive type. She is ready to tell him to take a hike, when her ex, Greg, almost rips out her throat because he has been changed into a vampire. Now Dmitri must protect Reggie as she must comes to grips over her intense lusting after a very attractive dead man who gives her the best sex she has ever had.

Even though I found One Bite With a Stranger a bit silly, especially over Dmitri's very laughable possessive tendencies over Reggie, Christine Warren has written a fluffy fun read. The sex scenes between Dmitri and Reggie were steamy but ventured into the purple prose category, which, as you can see from the quotes I posted above. If only we lucky ladies could be compared to a season during sex! I would loved to be compared to dew on a summer morning.

And every time Dmitri thought about ravishing Reggie or told Reggie how he wanted her, some laughs would find their way out of my mouth. You would think that this powerful vampire would be a force to reckon with. But the beast was tamed by the love of a woman who would not allow him to walk all over her.

As for Reggie, I could never warm myself up to her. She could never make up her mind when it came to Dmitri. You would think the woman be a bit frightened over the fact that her one night stand could suddenly speak in her head, and that he happens to be a vampire. And don't get me started on the hickey she must have from Dmitri. For a short moment, Reggie does seem freaked out, but since he gets her motor running, she welcomes Dmitri into her life, fully, and as her boyfriend.

This is one zany and quirky tale that some may roll their eyes at, but I for one really enjoyed One Bite With a Stranger. Christine Warren does have a distinctive voice and I would definitely be interested in reading her next release.

Katiebabs

Blech.

First of all I should say that I've enjoyed all the other books in the "Others" series. But honestly I couldn't get 50 pages into this book.

SPOILERS

Our hapless heroine Reggie enjoys girls night once a month with her friends. One night-after too much wine-the girls concoct the fantasy fix. Once a month (in order) one of the girls gets her fantasy fix, arranged by the other three. The problem is this; Reggie never like the idea. She gets to skip her first fix since she's in a relationship. The second time her name comes around she's newly single, hurting and has had sex with only 3 men-ever. Despite telling her friends repeatedly that she wants no part of the fix and when that doesn't work she comes up with an impossible scenario (she wants to be seduced by a vampire despite no vampires allegedly existing) she finds herself bundled into a corset and wearing high heels by women who emotionally blackmail her into going to a Goth vampire ball in order to have anonymous sex with a would be vampire. There's a BSDM theme to this too--the friends actually bring a leash and threaten to use it in case she decides to run and tell her that the corset is to keep her so short of breath she can barely walk much less run away. They actually get to the point where they're guarding her to make sure she doesn't run away from the club. BSDM is supposed to be sane, safe and consensual. I can't find the consensual part of that story. Anyway I couldn't stand to read any further.

I found the characters absolutely repulsive in this story. Anonymous sex isn't for everyone and Reggie's dream was a husband and children. (Just because she presumably finds Mr. Wonderful doesn't absolve her friends any.) Any decent friend would have allowed her out of a deal made while drunk. If Reggie had a backbone she would have told her friends to get out of her life. Being alone is better than being with these jerks.

Sex is a personal decision for everyone. Putting aside the emotional vulnerability that some people feel when engaging in intimacy, anonymous sex can lead to some really nasty diseases. This, of course, is totally ignored by the terrible threesome. Christine Warren could have easily come up with a story that got Reggie and Dmitri together without this distasteful rape fantasy. I'm hugely disappointed that she didn't.

I WISH I had read the reviews of this book before I bought it. Now that I have read the reviews, the awfullness that was this book makes sense. I won't rehash all the details that some of the other reviewers have so kindly provided regarding this book's printing history. But just a warning - if you have previously enjoyed Ms. Warren's Others series, it's a good bet that you will NOT like this book. Just skip it entirely - you won't miss anything (it doesn't even continue the general story arc - it's a "prequel" of sorts). If, on the other hand, you have never read Ms. Warren's Others series, or if you enjoy erotica, you may very well enjoy this book.

Basically, this book was just pure erotica - NOT paranormal romance. There was little to no plot, and frankly, for someone who doesn't enjoy reading erotica, the sex was mostly just creepy. I like an alpha hero just as much as the next vampire junky, but I read romance for the ROMANCE, and I read paranormal romance for the action and plot (and perhaps for the immortality wish-fulfillment) - not to mention the strong heroines who don't need a man to tell them what to do. What I DON'T enjoy (and anyone who /used/ to like Anita Blake will understand) is 250 pages of sex, no character development (because they're too busy having sex), whiny wimpy girls who can't stand up for themselves and seem to enjoy being dominated in the bedroom (all the time - not just occasionally for some added spice), and "friends" (which I have to put in scare quotes because if this is how friends behave, I'd rather have enemies) who seem to believe that all problems can be solved by sex with strangers (and who care more about their sex lives than about their friends).

Ultimately, I could only give this novel 1 star because it ABSOLUTELY DID NOT belong in this series. If Ms. Warren wanted to write an erotica novel (or republish a previously printed one), more power to her - just don't try passing it off as a paranormal romance within the canon of an established series - all she's managed to do is anger and disappoint her fans. I'm sure I'm not the only one who is seriously considering not reading any more of this series if this is the direction the Others are headed.

The latest book in the Others series is disappointing. It appears to be a prequel, which is a plus, and does not require you to have read any of the other books. The problem is that while all the books have steamy scenes, there's usually a backbone of plot to support them. This book's plot is worth maybe a short story and almost entirely sex-based (forced to act out your fantasies with a stranger). Once you add in explicit sex scenes spanning multiple chapters, this is disturbingly like the change in direction Laurell K. Hamilton took in her writing. It may be that the author has decided to get more in line with the Romance genre than the Supernatural, which would be a shame and might take her off my reading list.

I agree with the reviewer who said they don't understand why this book has been given such lackluster reviews. I bought this book based on the cover and after reading the back. It is the first of this series that I've read & even though I have read some shorts by C. Warren I didn't really have any expectations. I LOVED THIS BOOK! I am going back to read the rest of the series, I thought that this was the first book of a new series based on the cover where it says "the first novel of the others" and after reading it I researched & found out from the author's website that it is an expanded version of a book originally published by Ellora's Cave called "Fantasy Fix" and I guess is a prequil of sorts. If you enjoy hot, erotic romance with a bit of BDSM then you will really enjoy this book. Maybe after reading the previous books in the series I'll have a better understanding of the luke warm reviews but I don't think it will change my opinion that this is one of the best books that I've read in a long time and I read a lot of books.

I have to be honest about this book and say that quite frankly if this had been the first book in the series I wouldn't own the whole series. This book had none of the character and plot that I have come to love of "The Others" books. With brief cameos from a very few of the "others", and almost no secondary story (we usually get an adventure/mystery with our romance) this book pales in comparison with the rest of the series. I can only hope that the next book in the series will return to the familiar format that we all love and adore.