REVIEW by @GinnyLurcock : Bait by Annie Nicholas (@annienicholas)

Live bait makes all the difference.
 
Sent on a mission to lure Budapest’s vampire Overlord into a trap, Connie Bence is instead caught red-handed by the dark Casanova.
 
Her employer has concrete proof of the dubious leader’s misdeeds but she is surprised when this ruthless killer, Rurik, offers her protection and rescues her from his own kind. It plants seeds of doubt in her mind and she begins to question his guilt.
 
Now she is thrown into his world where blackmail determines her every move and where she must betray those she cares about or let them die. The stakes are high. She either puts her trust in Rurik or leads him to his execution.
 
Love or life.
 
Can you rate a book based on a hunch?
 
I ask this because I’ve been sitting around pondering how to rate “Bait” for the past 15 years.  Well, ok, it was 3 days, but still… it seems like forever.  You see, “Bait” has a good idea.  It might not be the most original, but it’s got enough unique and quirky aspects to make it so it’s not labeled a clone.  The problem is that the writing doesn’t quite measure up to the idea.  There were times when scenes felt disjointed as the narrative jumped forward just enough to be noticeable.  For example, the characters are lying down in one sentence and then Connie is on tip toes the next with no mention of standing.  Nothing major, it just seemed like it needed a bit more polish.
 
Another issue is that Connie is a flipper.  You know, the character that goes back and forth just a few too many times so that by the end you’re just like “you know what?  Fuck it.  Eat the bitch.”  See, she’s bait, meaning that she’s the woman that a team of vampire hunters sends out to lure a vampire into a death trap.  No, like literally.  She gets sent after Rurik who’s been accused of slaughtering a group of humans, but he isn’t what he seems.  He’s not like the other vamps they’ve hunted.  He’s different.  He’s hot.  Now she’s in a whole sexy conundrum.   Does she trust him?  Does she trust her team?  Are they being played?  Are things what they seem?  What’s with the creepy pointy eared guys?  Should she get pizza for dinner?
 
Like I said, it’s a similar concept to other stories out there, but different details and unique enough to be interesting. 
 
Here’s where rating on the hunch comes in.  I’m giving this book 2.5 stars.  I liked all the characters, including Connie even though she irked me at times and I liked the idea, but something seems to be holding the book back.  Something seems to be missing.  I have a feeling that once I get to “Catch,” many things will suddenly make sense.
 
*opens “Catch”*  Oh… that’s what was missing.  (“Catch” review to follow)
 
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