Josh Reviews: Never Been Bit by Lydia Dare

Title: Never Been Bit Series: Vampyre Regency Series Author: Lydia Dare Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca Format: Paperback, 362 pages Published: September 1st, 2011 ISBN #: 9781402245130 / 1402245130 Genre: Paranormal Romance My Copy: borrowed Rating: Buy: The glittering world of high society is the playground for the rich, titled, and reluctantly undead… Alec MacQuarrie’s after-life has become an endless search for pleasure in an effort to overcome his heartbreak and despair. Wandering through the seedy world of London’s demimonde, he’s changed into a dark and fearsome creature even he doesn’t recognize until he stumbles into a magical lass he knew once upon a time and sees a glimpse of the life he could have had. But the ton is no match for one incorrigible young lady… After watching each of her coven sisters happily marry, Sorcha Ferguson is determined to capture a Lycan husband of her very own. When she encounters Alec, she decides to save her old friend from what he’s become, all while searching for her own happily-ever-after. Over his dead body is Alec going to allow this enchanting innocent to throw herself away on an unworthy werewolf, but that leaves him responsible for her, and he’s the worst monster of them all…

What immediately drew me to this book was its bright and cheesy cover. I was so caught up in the reunion at the top that I did not even notice the castle underneath them and so I went into the book thinking it was set in Las Vegas (I don’t know how to explain this other than the title which seems ahistorical…not that that would be a silver bullet to a rather good read).

Sorcha, a flower witch, has the hots for werewolves. This desire is left without explanation and quickly turns over into a lust for an old childhood friend turned vampire, Alec.

What I grew to like about this book is the subtle way (some might say nonexistent) it treats the supernatural. Sorcha gets to play plenty of party tricks with her vines and flowers but not a single werewolf undergoes a transformation and the best that the sole vampire can do is sup on goat’s blood.

To get around these limitations, the book harps on the Lycan’s incredible smell capabilities (some might say too much) and the vampire’s inability to eat real food (quite a detriment in a society which is so hell-bent on manner and custom).

An early hiccup to my enjoyment of this book was Sorcha’s Scottish accent. It is written garishly and reeked havoc on my eyes for the first hundred pages then I grew acclimated to it then I began to like it especially the (over)use of the word, kent.

What items this book chooses to harp on, it does a plenty whether it be stomachs falling to toes or the smell of apple blossoms. Many people might get annoyed after the eleventh time such tropes are employed. I, on the other hand, was pleased and would have preferred an extended meditation on the reason apple blossom meant so much to our titular character and what were the deep psychological effects of apple blossom on the werewolves of this book.

I have not read any other books in this series as you probably already know but this one especially benefits from having not read any. I think the game of ketchup that we are perpetually made to play is delightful. The best parts of this book are where it concludes and we are forced to jump-off. I would have preferred an extended digression on the butcher shop or Sorcha’s ability to rouse dying flowers (I won’t even go into the symbolism there).

Books in this series:

Recommendation:	This one is for all those historical paranormal afficinados
Like this, like that:	Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger and the Heart of the Wolf series by Terry Spear

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