Heidi Betts' THE BITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS is a fun collection
of three holiday novellas. All three stories are loosely
tied together by the common thread of a vampire matchmaker
named Angelina.
In All I Vant for Christmas, sexy vampire Connor is
desperate for an old-fashioned Christmas at home with his
younger brother and sister. Matchmaker Angelina recommends
human event planner Jillian to help him achieve this goal,
and the two are quickly consumed by much more than just
holiday cheer. This novella is a quick holiday tale that is
a little light on plot. I found the quirky brother and
sister to be the most interesting characters and was a
little disappointed when they faded out of the story.
However a seriously sexy vamp and several rounds of hot sex
kept me interested enough to read it in one sitting.
The second novella, A Vampire in Her Stocking, tells of
undead secretary Vivian who has the hots for her very much
alive boss Sean. A little interference from Angelina leaves
Sean wrapped up in a big red bow on Vivian's couch, and it
is suddenly up to her to teach Sean everything she knows
about life as a vampire. This is a very cute story and
definitely my favorite of the three. Likable characters
and goofy situations had me laughing out loud at times. I
almost wish this one had been fleshed out into a full-length
novel.
It's a Wonderful Bite is the third and final story in the
book. In this parody of the Christmas movie with a similar
title, Angelina finds out what her life would have been like
if she and her vampire boyfriend, Ian, had never been
turned. This story is the most serious and emotional of the
bunch. The plot is more involved and, though well-written, I
think I would have enjoyed it a little more if it had fit in
better with the other two novellas. It was definitely nice
though to see the meddlesome matchmaker get her own happily
ever after.
Overall THE BITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS is a good choice if
you are looking for a light holiday read with a little
romance, a little laughter, and a little bite.
In Heidi Betts's collection of holiday novellas, vampires
turn to Angelina Bertolli — vampire matchmaker
extraordinaire—to help them find that special someone to
curl up with under the mistletoe...
"All I Vant For Christmas"
Connor loves trimming the Christmas tree, baking gingerbread
cookies, and hanging the mistletoe. But his vampire siblings
won't help. His friend Angelina sends party planner Jillian
to the rescue. But when Jillian, who's mortal, discovers
she's decking the halls for a family of vampires, will she
run—or will Connor have a beautiful woman to share the
holidays with?
"A Vampire in Her Stocking"
When Vivian learns that her secret crush Nick is terminally
ill, she's heartbroken. Confiding in Angelina, Vivian
refuses to turn Nick into a vampire. Deciding to play Santa,
Angelina changes Nick and leaves him wrapped in a red bow on
Vivian's doorstep...
"It's A Wonderful Bite"
Although Angelina is happy with her boyfriend Sergio, she's
ready for a commitment. After drinking eggnog and watching
It's a Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve, Angelina falls into
a dream where she is mortal and Sergio isn't interested in
her. Talk about the nightmare before Christmas! But Santa
must have checked his list twice because this Christmas
Angelina's wishes are coming true...