Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Once Bitten, Twice Shy (2007) Jennifer Rardin

I picked up this book, couldn’t decide how I felt about it, and thought I’d read a little more. But before I’d decided if I liked it or not, I realized I was more than halfway through the book, so I may as well just finish it.

Jaz Parks is a CIA assassin who lost her entire team after cleaning out a nest of vampires, and has been partnered with the best vampire assassin in the business. They’re sent after a man with known ties to terrorism, but end up getting in deeper than they ever could have imagined.

The story is fast paced and full of action. And Jaz got to use all kinds of gadgets that seem both possible AND a lot of fun. (Contact lenses that can switch between normal vision and and night vision? Awesome!) That was the good part. The bad part is it was fraught with sexual tension between Jaz and Vayl. Also, Jaz has powers that are never explained in any mater, nor did they seem to make much sense. So the world building was seriously lacking.

Which is too bad, because there was serious potential in the story, which is why I was halfway through and still hadn’t decided how I felt about the book. The characters were well done and interesting. The story moved quickly, and went interesting places. But the pacing was uneven, and I never could decide how I felt about Jaz. She was interesting and complex with a fascinating history, but I got very tired very quickly of her swooning over either Vayl or Cole.

So it was a quick read, with interesting vampires and interesting technology, but I never really felt like I liked the book. Would I read another book in the series? Only if I found it used. It wasn’t a pitch across the room book, but it wasn’t anything I’d go out of my way to read.
Rating: 5/10

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