The Bite Before Christmas

LYNSAY SANDS and JEANIENE FROST

Synopsis:

THE GIFT, by Lynsay Sands: Teddy Brunswick knows about the immortals among us. He's worked with them, called them friend – but he never counted on being snowed in with one over Christmas. Katricia Argeneau is a tasty little bundle and she seems to feel the same way about him. Problem is, he's not sure she feels quite the same way. After all, the snowstorm has derailed her blood delivery, which leaves him the only available meal on the menu...

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, by Jeaniene Frost: Cat and Bones are looking forward to a normal holiday – at least as “normal” as it gets for the combustible vampire couple and their otherworldly friends and family. But their yuletide plans are shattered when a stranger shows up and reveals long-buried family secrets that threaten to take a bite out of their holiday cheer...and lives.

Stats for my copy: Hardback, published by HarperCollins Publishers, 2011; sent to me by a BookCrossing member.

My thoughts: I've read most of Sands' Argeneau books - and one of her historical romances - and I love her writing. Her story here, however, while enjoyable, was also a little boring, a little slow, a little same old same old. Fun but nothing special. Teddy is the police chief of and lives in the same little town as Elvi and Victor, from Book 7 in the Argeneau series, THE ACCIDENTAL VAMPIRE. So he's already familiar with the Argeneaus and their kind. Wanting to get away on his own during the holidays, Marguerite suggested a little cottage that he could rent. Little did he know that she was up to her usual matchmaking ways and had also suggested the neighboring cottage to Katricia Argeneau. And that a snowstorm would cause a tree to fall across the road, taking down a power line and effectively cutting them off from the rest of the world.

Teddy and Katricia pool their resources – she has food, he has firewood – and spend time hanging out in his cottage, talking and getting to know one another. You know how it's all gonna end, especially if your familiar with the series.

The Cat and Bones story on the other hand - I loved it. I can't get enough of them and Frost has not disappointed me yet. This story is a about 40 pages longer than the Sands story, and did not drag anywhere. The story opens with a surprise birthday party for Bones, which is crashed by a stranger who claims to be Bones' biological half brother. But while Bones, Mencheres, Kira and Spade all seem mesmerized by the stranger and his stories, Cat, Denise and Ian are suspicious of him, along with Fabian and Elisabeth. Cat finds herself actually working with Ian, and it was nice to see Ian become a little more likable.

Plenty of action, with a plot that I couldn't quite predict. I truly love this series.