The Reluctant Vampire: An Argeneau Novel [Mass Market Paperback]

Alexandrina Argenis has been sent to the small town of Port Henry to help protect the immortal teenager Stephanie from the the cruel no-fanger who will do anything to get his evil hands on her. But Stephanie isn't the only immortal Drina is keeping an eye on. Upon meeting Harpernus Stoyan, Drina notices her appetite has returned and she is unable to read Harper's mind, two important signs that point to the pair being lifemates. Problem is Harper blames himself for the death of his first lifemate during her turning and uses the guilt as punishment on himself. But now that Drina has found her lifemate, she'll do whatever it takes to show him she's worth moving on for.

The Reluctant Vampire has the feel of the earlier Argeneau books with the main focus being on the romance. Before Drina ever meets Harper, a lot of emphasis is put on how hard it will be for her to convince him that he should give their relationship a chance. In actuality I found there to be a little resistance at first but Harper didn't have nearly as much fight in him when it came to accepting his new lifemate as others kept saying there would be. Their relationship was sweet and there were several sexy moments between the two that left them naked and unconscious on the floor. Separate I found Harper to be cute but nothing too extraordinarily. Drina on the other hand I absolutely loved and she was the highlight of this book for me. She had confidence in her self and her ability to bring Harper to his knees, she's innovative in the unusual professions she's chosen in her life in order to be on her own, she's sexy without trying and her sympathy and dedication to a girl she just met showed how deep her emotions run. Not to mention she's a rogue hunter and can fight along side the best of her kind. A really great heroine all around.

Leonius is the no-fanger, an immortal who doesn't have fangs and preys viciously on mortals, who turned the 15 year old Stephanie against her will in order to use her as a breeder. Stephanie and her sister were rescued from him a few books back and Leonius has been determined to get them both back. Stephanie is in Port Henry with other immortals for her own protection. She's a nice girl who has some very interesting abilities for being such a young turn but I couldn't help but find it a bit creepy by how she was trying to play match maker between Drina and Harper. She would talk about lingerie on Drina and the sexual things that would be going through their minds in order to turn the other person on. It got to be too much and I found myself skipping those parts so I wouldn't he turned off the story.

The Reluctant Vampire is not my favorite from the series but it was still a highly enjoyable installment. The story was more romance focused which is why I was first turned onto the series. Harper and Drina make a nice couple but Drina really manages to shine all on her own and command most of the scenes she was in. Fans of the series will be happy to see Tiny, Beau, Anders and other familiar characters. My favorite scene from a supporting character came from an all too quick encounter with Lucien, who even after 15 books is still one of my favorites. Paranormal romance fans will enjoy and even though I don't recommend it because you'd miss out on a lot of really great characters, it can be read as a stand alone.

Finally! Another Argeneau Novel to quench my thirst for a little while. I am a HUGE fan of this author. She knows I stalk her website and own every novel in the series including the ones with the original covers! I have begged and pleaded for her to make me the life mate of Bricker in one of her books. I have interviewed her several times on the blog and even hosted a reading challenge featuring her books. So it is no surprise that when the publisher sent me this book for review, I moved it to the top of the pile to read first!

In the latest installment we get to meet Harper again. He has been keeping a low profile since the death of his first "life mate" Jenny. When Drina arrives to help watch over Stephanie, Harper finds himself attracted to her in a way he never felt with Jenny. Together they work together in trying to not only keep Stephanie safe, but also discover the second chance at love that Harper didn't expect.

While I enjoyed the story, this is not one of my favorite books in the series. To be honest, Harper never really made an impact on me enough to be anxious for his story. He was sweet and romantic, but he was just okay in the sex appeal department. Drina had a hot streak in her that could put a Jalapeno pepper to shame! She is not one that is going to take Harper's pity party lying down! She is excited to have found a life mate and she intends to make sure Harper knows it as well! Even though they were a good fit together, I just couldn't connect with their romance like I have done with the others. I didn't like the forced feel to it that the author brought this time around.

I did enjoy seeing familiar faces again though in this book. We get to see Anders, Beau, Tiny and even Teddy again. Lucien even makes an appearance and steals the small scene that he is in with his bossy, yet sexy, personality. I love when an author brings back past characters and reminds us that they still have some story to tell long after their book is over. The author also brings her usual witty and laugh out loud humor to the book that quickly made me a fan of her writing.

Overall, I felt this book to be a good book to pass the time with. Not much happens story wise, but the characters were fun to read about. Still a great book to read if you are a fan of the author and the series. Not one to miss if you are looking to continue reading the Argeneau series. Now, if you will excuse me, I really must go back to stalking the authors web page and emailing her about Brickers book which includes me as his life mate.

SLOW SLOW , What has happen to the books we love? The book just never went any where, and I am A BIG Fan, I have ALLL her books and this one just did not have it.

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