Review: In the Heat of the Bite by Lydia Dare

In the Heat of the Bite
Lydia Dare
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Historical/Paranormal Romance
ISBN: 9781402245107
Release date: July 1, 2011
Author's website:  Lydia Dare

Chivalry is far from undead...
Matthew Halkett, Earl of Blodswell, is one of the few men in the ton who can claim to be a knight in shining armor- because that's precisely what he was before being turned into a vampyre. When he spies a damsel in distress in the midst of a storm in Hyde Park, his natural instinct is to rush to her aid...

But not every woman needs to be rescued...
Weather-controlling witch Rhiannon Sinclair isn't caught in a storm-she's the cause of it. She's mortified to have been caught making trouble by the imposing earl, but she doesn't need any man-never has, and is sure she never will...

But when Rhiannon encounters Matthew again, her powers go awry and his supernatural abilities run amok. Between the two of them, the ton is thrown into an uproar. There's never been a more tempestuous scandal...

Matthew Halkett is a vampire that has been living hundreds of years among humans.  No one has caught his attention quite like Rhiannon Sinclair has.  She's a witch that can control and make storms and one night while she is in the middle of Hyde Park releasing her frustration in the form of a storm, Matthew sees her and thinks that she is a damsel in distress.  He's drawn to her and soon they both realize what the other person is.  Rhiannon soon finds out that Matthew is very well know among the witches in her coven.  He has a history with them including her very good friend Caitrin, a witch that she is staying with.  Caitrin has the ability to see into the future and realizes that Matthew and Rhiannon make a good couple.  She does her best to make sure that the run into each other whenever the can.  Rhiannon soon realizes that she will soon need Matthew's help in a matter that means a lot to her.  Her aunt has guardianship over her younger sister and in order to get in her aunt's good graces, she asks Matthew to court her.  He has a great reputation because of his wealth and title and Rhiannon wants to use that to her advantage.  Matthew says yes of course because he will get the opportunity to get to know her better. 

There are so many great characters in this book.  I though Rhiannon was just lovely and could feel how much she cared for her family and friends.  Matthew said all the right things while falling in love with her and I believed I may have swooned a few times.  He was a gentlemen in every way and wanted to honor in every way possible.  He also has a new vamp by the name of Alec under his care and does his best to put him on the right path.  But Alec has a mind of his own and let's just say that he enjoys the perks of being a vamp.  But all those around him are falling in love and I could feel that Alec wanted a bit of that for himself.  His book is next and I can't wait to read it!  But my favorite part of the book had to be Matthew's interaction with Caitrin's hubs and his half-brothers.  They are weres and are extremely funny!  Matthew manages to have a respectful relationship with Caitrin's husband Dashiel, but when it comes to his brothers, it's a whole different thing.  Archer is my favorite brother and he and Matthew bump heads throughout the book and it's hilarious!!!!  I could not stop laughing at the scenes between the two of them and let's just say that it was vamp vs were whenever they were on the page.  Archer's character is so dashing and let me just say this to author:  I need his book like now!!!!  PLEASE!!!  He is definitely future book boyfriend material and the heroine that ends up with him is going to be one lucky lady!  

I'm giving In the Heat of the Bite a rating of:

This is the first book that I have read in this series and I plan on going back to read the earlier books.  It's also the first book that I've read of Lydia Dare's and I think her writing was superb!   She has a way of making the reader feel exactly what the character is feeling as they are reading the book.  This book had me enthralled from start to finish and I am looking forward to reading more about the characters in the future and the women that in love with.  I hope they are as much as a gentlemen as Matthew and hope that the books make me laugh just as much as this one did!