Book Review: Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost

Title: Once Burned (Night Prince #1)

Author: Jeaniene Frost
Release Date: June 26th 2012
Publisher: Avon
Source: Purchased for my own reading pleasure.

She's a mortal with dark powers...

After a tragic accident scarred her body and destroyed her dreams, Leila never imagined that the worst was still to come: terrifying powers that let her channel electricity and learn a person's darkest secrets through a single touch. Leila is doomed to a life of solitude...until creatures of the night kidnap her, forcing her to reach out with a telepathic distress call to the world's most infamous vampire...

He's the Prince of Night...

Vlad Tepesh inspired the greatest vampire legend of all—but whatever you do, don't call him Dracula. Vlad's ability to control fire makes him one of the most feared vampires in existence, but his enemies have found a new weapon against him—a beautiful mortal with powers to match his own. When Vlad and Leila meet, however, passion ignites between them, threatening to consume them both. It will take everything that they are to stop an enemy intent on bringing them down in flames.

My Thoughts

I have been lusting after this book since I first heard about it last year and then in January when the cover was released, well hell, I hungered for it.

Vlad has been one of the reoccurring characters in Jeaniene Frost's The Night Huntress series that has held my attention with his smart sexy mouth and heated sexy glances, his soulful sexy eyes and drop dead gorgeous sexy body...you get the idea!

Vlad Tepesh exudes primal sex, and yet this book, does not :(

Before I complain, I'll start with what I did enjoy.

The story flowed well, it had plenty of action and intrigue to keep me guessing.
Leila has an interesting gift, and she's a bit ballsy, although we don't get a lot of background on her other than a brief look at how she got her injury.
Vlad and Leila's journey together has a good amount of attraction, and they have to work together in order to solve a mystery and save the lives of their friends.

Had I not read any previous books by Jeaniene Frost I probably would have given this book a 4 Star rating.

However there are some things that I just couldn't get past.

It says right there on the front cover 'A Night Prince Novel'
So I was expecting a book based around Vlad, from Vlad's point of view.
Not so.
Its a book based around Leila, and written from her POV.
I initially didn't mind, but as the story progressed I got bored with the constant self berating and 'oh darn, he can hear that/knows what I'm thinking' commentary.

Vlad and Leila's attraction was well...dull.
Vlad has to be one of the most lusted after vamps of all time with extraordinary powers, a body to die for, and hundreds of years of experience under his belt.
He knows how to lure a lady, how to turn on the charm, but I found his pursuit of Leila stilted and awkward.
And when they did finally come together, it was pretty average.
I was hoping for fireworks, not unlike those of Cat and Bones in book #1 *wink wink* but what I got was safe and (dare I say) lacklustre.

Speaking of Vlad; the Vlad in this book is different from the one I know from TNH books.
The Vlad I know is a tease, darkly sexy and broody, has a wicked sense of humor and flirts mercilessly with all females.
This Vlad was moody and arrogant, and I really didn't care for him all that much.
I actually felt bereft.
Who was this impostor because it sure as hell wasn't my Vlad?
Maybe that's what was missing, not enough Vlad.

And the ending - what kind of ending was that?
Yes, I know it the first book in a series but what the hell?
I don't think it made sense to end it so abruptly, so half arsed!

Perhaps I would have enjoyed Once Burned more had it been written from Vlad's POV...
or if there had been more heat, more great sex...
or maybe I would have enjoyed it more if the ending had been more complete...
I'll never know.

What I do know is - I was left feeling angry, bitterly disappointed, and almost had a throw-it-against-the-wall moment!

I couldn't with good conscience give Once Burned anything more than 2 Stars :|