Series: Flirting With Fangs #3
Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca on March 4th 2014
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Vampires
Pages: 380
Format: Paperback
Source: Library
ISBN: 1402275757
Claudia Fletcher has her MBA and a stellar resume, so when the bar she manages burns down, she could easily move on to bigger and better things. But something about the bar owner, Anthony Cross makes it impossible to leave.
Anthony has never let on to the general public that he's a vampire, and most of his staff members have no idea Boston Uncommon was a safe gathering place for supernaturals of all kinds. Now that it's nothing but ash, the tentative peace among warring factions is starting to crumble. The last thing he wants to do is put Claudia in danger, but he also knows there's no way he can let her go…
Summary
Anthony and Claudia have worked together running a bar for five years. But then the bar gets burned down Now Claudia is out of a job, and even though she has a degree, she feels a connection to Anthony. But there are certain lines that seperate them from being together. Anthony is a vampire and a love match with a human is forbidden and is ex girlfriend is out for her blood out of jealousy. But Claudia is having to face some difficult choices, and the last thing she needs is to enter a relationship with a man she has been in love with for years but hasn’t touched her because of a crazy girlfriend. Anthony doesn’t know if he can let Claudia go, but there are other dangers to Anthony and Claudia. As they start to connect and build on the chemistry they feel, there are paranormal hunters and a “mother nature” that seek to keep them apart, but can they find a way to beat the odds?
The Hero
Anthony, may be a vampire but it is not something he would ever choose for himself. Anthony Cross has lived a life in the darkness, and makes an effort to not act upon his urges. Anthony created the bar, so there could be a haven for any paranormal being and come together in a safe environment. Even though he did have some humans work for him like Claudia, he was quite the unusual paranormal hero. He felt more like a beta hero to me, which if you read PNR that is very rare since most of the time they are alpha. Now he had some of those qualities, but he didn’t need to be domineering or in control. He just wanted to help others any way he could. Anthony was charming, intelligent and a protector but kind and considerate as well.
The Heroine
Claudia is a human woman, with a degree and has worked in management for Anthony for five years. Claudia may work in a bar, but she has a addicted to alchol. An addicted she knows is dangerous and is more out of guilt from her sisters death and blames herself. And when the bar burns down, she has a life altering decision to give up alcohol and attend AA meetings. Claudia is a heroine that grows quite a bit in this story. We see her go from being a alcoholic to making a total life change and start a relationship. Claudia is a heroine most readers could relate with. She is far from perfect, she has her own struggles and I liked that you could see her challenges and how she felt much more real and easy to relate with.
Plot and Story Line
Kissing With Fangs is the final book in the trilogy here, and my first book of this author. There were some aspects of this book I liked and others I had a bit of a issue with. But for the most part, Kissing With Fangs is enjoyable and a likable romance. This is a romance where we see two people that have been in love with each other for five years but haven’t acted out on it. So we see some challenges for their relationship at the very beginning of the story. Anthony is torn because his ex girlfriend is acting crazy and jealous and their relationship is forbidden. Claudia is making some life altering changes which adds some twists to their relationship. But we do see how much they genuinely care for each other. But Claudia has no idea what Anthony truly is. I did feel that the romance felt a bit flat, I just wasn’t able to fully connect with the story. The flow was a bit static at best, didn’t flow as smoothly as I would have liked. There were some side characters I had some giggles over. The humor was lighthearted and charming but not quite what I expected. I did like the building of the plot which involves crazy ex girlfriend and some paranormal hunters. This story kept me intrigued by the events that unravel and I am curious about the previous two books.
The Cover
SEXY as all get out….I love the tat and the soft defined muscles
Overall View
Kissing With Fangs is a fun and lighthearted romance that will give you laughs, keep you intrigued by the world building and endearing characters you can relate with. CHARMING!!
I remember reading these a few years back. They are light and fluffy so I was only moderately into them, but still they were fun especially Mother Nature.
They are very light and fluffy and I adored Mother Nature, she was hilarious.
I read something by her ages ago
I’m sorry this one fell a bit flat, Renee. That’s too bad since it seems there were some high points. I like that the characters are relatable – particularly Claudia seeing as she’s flawed and does so much growing. But Anthony sounds like he’s rather a great guy. I think I might be willing to give this one a go. 🙂
Not sure about this one. I don’t like flat romances and that’s a pretty major flaw when reading a romance. Does it make a difference if you read the first two or can they standalone I wonder? Enjoyed reading your review!