Wit and Sin

My review cross-posted from Joyfully Reviewed: http://www.joyfullyreviewed.com/reviews/Feb10/bait.an.html

It’s Connie Bence’s job to be bait. She works for a powerful mercenary who takes contracts to kill vampires gone bad. Connie works her sensuality to lure vampires to a place where they can be taken out by her team. Connie’s latest mission is to lure Rurik, the vampire Overlord of Budapest, to his demise. But when things don’t go according to plan, Connie is swept into the world of vampire politics and double-dealing. Her employer has solid proof that Rurik is evil, but Connie isn’t so sure. As desire builds between Connie and Rurik, the woman whose job is always to be bait must ask herself – which one of them is predator and which one prey?

The darkened streets of nighttime Budapest are the perfect backdrop for a sexy vampire tale. Sadly, Bait failed to lure me in. Annie Nicholas has all the elements to create an intriguing vampire world, but Bait is bogged down by double-crossings and the heroine’s own confusion. I really wanted to connect with Connie and Rurik, but I just couldn’t do so. There was nothing wrong with either of them, but they never fully came to life for me. I admit to also being distracted by Rurik’s nickname for Connie, Rabbit. For me, personally, this was an element of Bait that did not work.

Ms. Nicholas truly has an interesting concept for her Angler series and if the relationship between Connie and Rurik had been better developed, the pacing a bit faster, and the storyline more fluid, I would have enjoyed Bait. Sadly, this first installment to the Angler series just did not capture my fancy.