Book Review – One Bite With a Stranger by Christine Warren

I’ve just picked up a few books from the series, and made sure to purchase the two “Book One’s”. How can that be? Apparently, while “Wolf at the Door” is considered book one in “The Others” series, the author had previously released a book called “Fantasy Fix” with another publisher (Ellora’s Cave). It has since been re-released, as Book#6 (renamed One Bite With a Stranger), and the author states:

It contains new content and can be considered the First Novel of the Others.

So I read it first! It was suitable for an easy read. While it didn’t capture me enough to keep me glued to my seat and ignore the world outside, it had an uncomplicated plot that was easy to follow even with numerous interruptions.

It is about a group of single girlfriends that fix each other up on dates with men they know, that will cater to their fantasies. While each of them have participated, only Regina (Reggie), who was in a monogamous relationship at the time, has not. Heartbroken (after having caught her fiance cheating), and needing to move on with her life, her friends dress her up and take her out to meet a prospective male friend of theirs at a local Goth bar hosting a Vampire Ball.

While she is there, her eyes lock onto a gorgeous mysterious man, who seems to be equally attracted to her. After a few moments of banter, his very essence appears to intoxicate and control her.

He would show these pretenders a real vampire’s fury if a single one of them thought to lay a hand on what Dmitri intended to claim for his own. His woman would not be touched by any man but him.

His woman.

While a part of her mind realizes that something is off, her attraction to him becomes undeniable, and she takes him home.

Dmitri, actually a vampire, reads her thoughts, knows every one of her fantasies, and is determined to act them out with her. Reggie, a headstrong independent woman, has a little “submissive” fantasy, and the dominant by nature Dmitri intends to release her of her inhibitions (by tying her down, and well, you know, the rest that goes with it…). This is pretty much the main *ahem* scene in the book that is this intricately detailed, and drawn out.

Just to give you an idea of where this scene is going…

She started to push the heavy material down, but a burst of nerves stopped her. She couldn’t believe she was doing this, stripping herself naked for a man she’d just met. Maybe she should just –

He growled.

He didn’t speak, didn’t tsk his tongue, didn’t clear his throat. He growled like a predator, and she thought his lips curved in something just short of a snarl.

Maybe she should just take off her pants.

ACK! Too scary!

Personally, the whole idea of a woman accepting a complete stranger into her home and allowing herself to completely succumb to his complete control, alarms me. The fact that he has some sort of mind influence on her, seems to somewhat excuse her complete trust in this stranger, but on the other hand, the fact that he is able to do that to her, shocks me even more!

As we eventually find out, Dmitri can only “enhance” a person’s true feelings (not mind control them completely), so….well anyway…

Realizing and deciding she is his true “mate”, he begins to exert his alpha male control on their relationship. Not wanting to scare her off completely (darn modern women, they are just so intent on being equal), he attempts to *ease* (I’m being sarcastic here) himself into her life.

He knew he had to leave her. He could think of nothing more appealing than remaining in her bed and holding her for the rest of the night and all of the next day, but she would not find it easy to adjust to his lifestyle, and he knew crowding her too quickly would likely send her running from him.

He would never allow that to happen.

Pretty much, that’s how this whole book goes. A super sweet and tender moment, with an alpha-male “after thought”.

Nevertheless, the impatient and demanding Dmitri is appalled by her resistance to their connection, and pretty much demands she admit she belongs to him within the first day or so that they are together.

“I want to hear you acknowledge that you are mine.” he pulled back just far enough to fix her with a stern gaze.

Reggie returned it with a raised eyebrow and pursed lips. “I think I just finished telling you that I’m not going to get involved with anyone who sees me as a possession.”

“And I do not. But that does not mean I do not want to possess you.”

“What if I want to possess you instead?”

He flashed her a grin, warm and wicked and laced with something more that Reggie couldn’t quite define.

“Dushka,” he murmered, lowering his mouth to hers. “You already do.”

Kinda sweet I guess, the way he ends that conversation (he admits to a mutual ownership, so how bad can that be?), but wait…later in the book he says this:

“Dushka,” he murmured, leaning down to brush his lips softly over hers. “I am afraid your decisions have already been made. I will not allow you to leave me. You are mine, and I intend to keep you.”

Romance is there, sure, if you can get past Dmitri’s excessively domineering personality.

I kept thinking, this is that “guy”. You know, the controlling successful rich guy that showers his conquest with love and affection, but still cannot completely hide that dominant streak. You know the one, where the girl just knows something is off (and all of her friends see it), but, he is so handsome and sweet, she loves him with her blinders on (only to eventually realize, once they are married, that her instincts were right)?

Well, whatdya want? Ya get involved with a traditional vampire, ya gotta deal with his archaic ways, it seems…(oh but wait, throughout the majority of this book, she doesn’t even realize he is an archaic vampire…)