This was different than any other vampire story that I have read. I have had a review copy of this book for years and missed it when I fell behind. I decided to take a look at the story one night before bed and found it interesting enough to keep reading. I liked the story and found it to be very unique.

Lenore belongs to Paul. Paul is a vampire and he needs for Lenore to help him find his next victim unless she would like to be his next meal. Things don't go well on their first quest for a new victim but Paul does find someone to bring home, no thanks to Lenore. The new victim, Sam, seems to get under Lenore's skin and she feels responsible for him.

I liked that the vampire world in this book is different. The two vampires that we meet in this story are not sexy and they are really only worried about their own needs. People are to be used as food and murder is a sport. Lenore has stayed alive with them for a while but it is no secret that the plan is to kill her at some point in the future. At times, Paul treats Lenore almost like a friend but he still thinks about how he will end her life.

I didn't fall in love with the characters but they held my interest. There is a lot of psychological play in this story and I couldn't imagine living without any control over my own life like Lenore has for the past several months. Paul seemed like a good guy at times where Richard didn't hold back. I did like the bond that Lenore and Sam formed. There are some pretty violent scenes in the book which kept things interesting.

I do think that fans of dark vampire stories would enjoy this book. Although it is not listed as such, it appears that this is the second book in a series but it read fine as a stand-alone story. I would definitely give this author's work a try again in the future.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Samhain Publishing via NetGalley. ( )

I received my copy of Bait from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

After finishing Donor by the same author, I was all too happy to dive right in to Bait, and I was not disappointed. Bait picks up right where Donor left off, and is at least as good as the previous book, if not better.
Like its predecessor, Bait impressed me in its portrayal of vampires. While the author makes them likable, she also doesn't romanticize them. The heroine also continues to be wonderfully flawed and very human, making her interesting to read about and easy to root for. The addition of the character Sam was also an interesting one, and should the author make another book following him, I for one would be more than happy to give that a read as well.

Overall, another great read by Elena Hearty. Vampire lovers, new and old, I definitely recommend both Bait and Donor. ( )

This book was a fun read, which, frankly, I'm surprised to hear myself say. I won both this book and its prequel ("Donor") in a book giveaway, and I didn't like "Donor" that much. But I really enjoyed "Bait". The relationship between Lenore--a smart-alecky, agoraphobic human--and Paul--the vampire who holds her hostage--is a rollercoaster ride, going from a weird sibling state to I-going-to-eat-you scary to moments where they each stand in the others shoes and can't blame the other for the hurtful thing he/she is doing. And I found myself laughing when things were scary and feeling sorry for Paul sometimes when Lenore was at his mercy. Which in my book, is a good thing. I think this mix of emotions (and plot complexity) was missing in "Donor" because Rich--Paul's much more sadistic and antisocial vampire partner--was more of a main character than Paul.

There was a part at the end where I thought Rich went, conveniently, a little too easy on Lenore, and at times the book felt too dialogue heavy. But with the twist at the end of "Bait", I'll be looking forward to reading Book #3. ( )

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review
Another entertaining installment in the series. You really feel for Lenore who is caught in an untenable situation. There is more great banter between the characters which helps conceal the ever present threat of death always looming above Lenore. Great characters. Great plot. A solid 3.5 stars. ( )

I received this book from library thing for a review.
I will first say what I liked about this book:
1. I loved the playful banter that went on between the characters. I don’t know if it’s my love of classical literature wit but I love when the author is able to make the characters have meaningful but amusing conversations.
2. The ups and downs of Paul and Lenore’s association that showed the real complexity of a relationship. I really have been put off sometimes with some books lately and the constant meant to be together or the relationships just work themselves out somehow miraculously in the end. The author was able to realistically capture the complexities of a relationship and how there are many ups and downs that can damage or strengthen a friendship.
3. Strong but sometimes not so strong female heroine. I was definitely drawn to the female heroine in this story because she wasn’t always this tough as nails person. I liked that the author showed she wasn’t always sure of herself and had vulnerabilities but at the end of the day could still be the tough as nails person that could save the day.
4. The pace of the story. I can never stress this enough but sometimes the pace of the story can make or break it. She kept you intrigued and was able to keep the pace moderate enough that you weren’t getting bored with it but not fast enough that you were overwhelmed with it.
5. Vampires that actually acted like vampires. I won’t say I didn’t read and like Twilight but I liked seeing vampire characters that acted and were portrayed for what they are…predators.
There were only a couple things I did not like about it:
1. Some of the characters felt a little underdeveloped. She did throw you a little bit into the middle of an already budding contract between Lenore and Paul and I didn’t feel I was given as much background as I needed to fully get some of the complexities of their personalities. The character Sam as well is seen in small snippets and I found myself not really caring about whether he lived or died because I did not really get to know him all that well.
2. A bit of an unresolved ending. I won’t say much on this because I don’t want to spoil what happens but I feel as though the ending was a little too unresolved for my liking. I’m not sure if she is planning on writing a sequel or not (which I hope she is) but I would have liked a little more certainty about what might happen to the characters in the end. ( )