The writing team known as Lydia Dare picked up right where they left off in It Happened One Bite with their July paranormal romance release In the Heat of the Bite. A new set of main characters continues the series of novels written around a coven of witches in historical Scotland, who seem to pair off with supernatural creatures that are drawn to them. In the Heat of the Bite takes readers to regency England, where the ton is just as foreboding as the vampires who walk among them.
Regency England and the Supernatural
Lydia Dare has a unique way of taking paranormal entities; werewolves, witches, vampires, and placing them in historical Scotland. Now she takes them to regency England where the ton and their societal rules are even more daunting. The setting the author creates is a vivid one and amazingly realistic. Not only do gentleman werewolves and vampires walk undetected among their human counterparts, but they even have a vampire Gentleman's Club to fulfill all their 'urges.'
Though there isn't a lot of details for the setting, what is revealed is very descriptive and accurate. Womens dresses, ballgown shopping, society mannerisms, carriage rides and locales, are all well written to give readers an idea of the characters' surroundings. I would have perhaps enjoyed a little more detail, but having read Lydia Dare's previous works, was able to piece it all together.
Gentleman Vampires and Lady Witches
The characters in Lydia Dare's works have always captivated me and In the Heat of the Bite is no different. Matthew Halkett, Earl of Blodswell, first appeared in It Happened One Bite when one of the coven sisters met with his prodigy. This time around, it is his turn and he has his own coven sister in mind. Blodswell is the epitome of what a gentleman ought to be, irritatingly noble and honorable, he was a real life knight in shining armor, turned to a vampire on a battlefield in the Holy Land. He is an easily liked character, as his is counterpart.
Rhiannon Sinclair is the coven witch with the ability to control the weather. She is sweet and temperamental, which seems fitting for her magical talent. When she cries it rains, when she is angry it thunders, and so forth. Rhiannon has a very soft and vulnerable side, yet a sense of loyalty that is astounding and toughens her up when her loved ones need her. The two match quite well together, as Blodswell is the always avenging hero, and Rhiannon is the perfect damsel-in-distress, even when she thinks she doesn't need saving.
The sub-characters were just as intriguing. Caitrin and Dashiel were just as spunky and witty as they were in their own novel, The Taming of the Wolf. Their cameos in this book were integral to the plot line as they also re-introduced Dashiel's brothers who will soon be getting their own trilogy after Never Been Bit hits stores September 2011. Never Been Bit, is sure to please Lydia Dare fans, as it is the last witch's story and ties together the sub-plots that have been left open-ended where sub-characters Alec Maquarrie and Sorcha Ferguson are concerned.
Supernatural Romance and Action-Packed Fun
On Lydia Dare's website, she has dubbed these novels “romance with a wild streak” and normally I would agree with her. There are certainly wild creatures in this novel, but not the sort of wild action and adventure the series has become known for. In the Heat of the Bite did fall a little flat where the action was concerned. The villain, was not quite so villainous and almost seemed like an added character to tie together loose ends.
Callista was Blodswell's maker and a feisty antique vampiress who placed herself on a pedestal. The jealousy and anger she felt at losing Blodswell to Rhiannon could have made for intriguing action the whole novel through, but for some reason Callista made an early appearance then hid in the shadows of the pages so to speak. Even Rhiannon's aunt had the potential of being a great villain, but fell short of the mark. At the end I anticipated a large showdown to appease that need for finger-biting action and was slightly disappointed in the outcome.
However, I still liked the story and was glad to see a happy ending for these two characters. Though In the Heat of the Bite felt like a sort of bridge between novels, it is worth the read because fans of the series will want to know some of the facts for future reference. The plot is more of a historical romance, rather than paranormal romance, unlike its predecessors. Which is perhaps why it came as such a shock to me.
About the Author
Lydia Dare is not just one woman, but two. The writing team of Tammy Falkner and Jodie Pearson are active members in the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers and have been on the Board of Directors. As they mentioned in a previous interview on Suite101, they complete manuscripts by writing 1500 words, then passing it on for the other to edit and continue on the story with the next 1500 words. Where as Tammy Falkner specializes in the paranormal, Jodie Pearson prefers the history and together they make a perfect mesh of two sub-genres of romance fiction.
Source
- Dare, Lydia, In the Heat of the Bite, Sourcebooks Inc., July 2011, ISBN 978-1-4022-4510-7
Jessica Hastings - Jessica Hastings is a published author/poet, professional reviewer, and avid reader. Schooled in journalism and creative writing, she ...
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