Insatiable

Meena Harper is having a bad week. Her psychic power tells her that the pretty, young foreigner on the train is going to die by the end of the week. Of course, she doesn't understand English very well and probably wouldn't believe her warnings even if she did so all Meena can do is give her a card to call if she needs help. Meena arrives late to work to discover that her arch nemesis, the slimy & lazy Shoshona, edged her out for the head writer job on Insatiable, the soap opera she has been a faithful viewer of for years and where Meena currently works as one of the writers. That night, Meena is attacked by a group of killer bats, but a handsome stranger saves her. Meena is thrilled to discover that her mysterious rescuer is none other than a Romanian prince, Lucien Antonescu, whose brother just happens to live next door! After a perfect night together, Meena finds herself head over heels in love with Lucien. Her life must be looking up! Unfortunately, she discovers the very next day that Lucian is a vampire. And not just any vampire, Lucien is the prince of darkness himself! Lucien is in Manhattan to find the murderer of several young girls who have been completely drained of blood. The Palatine Guards, an ancient order of vampire hunters, are also in town to catch the vampire killer. Alaric Wulf, expert vampire slayer and member of the secretive Palatine order, discovers Meena's involvement with Lucien and literally holds her at swordpoint to try and discover his whereabouts. And then Meena's life really takes a turn for the worse....

This book shows that Meg Cabot has jumped on the vampire-craze bandwagon. I almost always enjoy Meg Cabot's books and this one, though not her best, is still a wonderful treat. Meena is a delightful character who tries her best to help people, even though no one ever believes that she can see when people are going to die. She is quirky, cute and funny. I loved "hearing" her thoughts about people and seeing life in New York through her eyes. Lucien was her perfect foil as he was serious and somewhat melancholic. Meena makes Lucien feel alive again and Lucien makes Meena feel like a real princess. The other characters in the book are wonderful, as well. Alaric is an intense, focused warrior who believes that all vampires are evil. He reluctantly discovers that this is not the case, but he is a very complicated, complex character and I was never quite sure what he was going to do. Emil & Mary Lou, Lucien's brother & sister-in-law were an absolute riot! Meena was always trying to avoid Mary Lou, but she had a particular knack for cornering her in the elevator every day when she came home from work. Mary Lou is a society wife who spends her time on charity boards and using her credit cards. Emil is a nervous wreck and cannot seem to get it together. Dimitri, Lucien's evil half-brother, is a thug with plans who wants to take over the vampire throne. Jon, Meena's younger brother, who lost his job months ago and has been living with Meena, is thrilled to be part of the action. And, of course, we cannot forget Jack Bauer, Meena's hyper, nervous little dog who really started the whole mess. There are, naturally, several other secondary characters and I am sure that you will enjoy meeting all of them just as much as I did!

Cabot's characters are definitely one of the strengths of this book. Even though they came from various backgrounds and had different motives, I found that I could readily identify with them all and had no trouble keeping them straight. The plot was interesting and took a few sudden turns so I never knew what to expect. The first half of the book was very different than the second half, however, as the first half is cute, fluffy and romantic. It was what I have come to expect from Meg Cabot and enjoyed reading it quite a bit. The second half turned darker and more action oriented. It was still enjoyable, but I missed the humor and the charm that I am used to getting from Cabot. I can also tell you straight out that I was quite dissatisfied with the ending of the book. It is one of those "hopefully ever after" endings, I'm afraid. I rather quite hate these endings. Happily, this ending left enough hanging that Cabot could choose to revisit this world and these characters - and I hope she does! I would love to see how the love triangle between Meena, Alaric and Lucian turns out. If you enjoy vampire romances and are open for something a bit different that the traditional vampire romance books out there, treat yourself to a copy of this book. I hope that you find the characters just as fun to read about as I did!

Insatiable by Meg Cabot
William Morrow, 2010
451 pages
Paranormal
3/5 stars
First in series

Source: Library

Thoughts: I used to adore Meg Cabot but the conclusions to the Princess Diaries series and the Queen of Babble trilogy deeply disappointed me so I took her off my auto-buy list. But I thought this looked good-a vampire story featuring a main character who hates vampires-so I checked it out of the library. Unfortunately I was disappointed.

The main source of disappointment was Meena, who rants against vampires and the stupid girls who fall for them. Then she sleeps with a vampire and becomes one of those stupid girls who wants to protect her vampire lover. She was so interesting at first. She can see how people will die, she works as a dialogue writer for her favorite soap, and she tries to be a good person. But after he bites her during sex, she falls under his sway and pissed me off. Admittedly I'm pretty anti-vampire to start but I hoped that something would make me love the story. However Cabot's style is still breezy and readable which is how I was able to finish this book despite my outrage.

Despite my loathing of the main character, there were some secondary characters I didn't hate. Meena's unemployed brother is living with her and he is psyched about the idea of killing some vampire butt; his enthusiasm is catching. Her neighbors turn out to be vampires and they are enjoyable fun. Then there is Alaric, a vampire killer and more than worthy mate for Meena; I wonder if Cabot plans to move in that direction. The vampire Lucien was unimpressive to me. He has to fight a vampire war while in New York City. I didn't like him.

Overall: Bleh-cannot in good conscience recommend.

Cover: Eh, ugly tattoo but striking red.

Some people would be jealous of Meena Harper, a writer for the television soap "Insatiable." Others, however, wouldn't envy her at all. That's because Meena is a psychic who can foresee deaths.

As one might imagine, it's a bit difficult for her to get a date. Her neighbors set her up to meet their cousin, whom they tell her is a prince. She's skeptical. But when she becomes acquainted with this so-called prince, Lucien Antonescu, she's smitten. Lucien works as a professor in Bucharest, which sounds both intellectual and exotic. Some would envy Meena for the new man in her life.

And some wouldn't. Because --- oh, dear --- Lucien is a vampire. In fact, he's the prince of all vampires, also known as the prince of darkness. Meena should've known he was too good to be true. She still wants him, though, which is either very romantic or dangerously bewildering. She hates the idea of vampires, especially now that "Insatiable" is supposed to add vampires to their plot. But you know she had this coming. After all, her name is Meena Harper; isn't that awfully close to Mina Harker, Dracula's love interest in Bram Stoker's novel?

While Meena is getting drawn closer to Lucien, a series of gruesome vampiric murders have rocked the news. A demon slayer from the Vatican is after Lucien and wants to kill him. And the vampires of the world are also battling amongst themselves, which Lucien, the good guy/bad guy, is trying to solve.

Though based on characters from demonology, INSATIABLE is never frightening or gothic. It's an easy read, with brief paragraphs and generally short chapters. While Meena is often clueless as to what's happening, readers can sense what will occur next. Lucien drops enough hints --- such as not liking daylight, surviving near-death experiences without getting hurt, and relishing the chance to talk about Vlad the Impaler in detail --- that it seems Meena is the last person to figure things out. The book becomes more interesting as it goes on, because the vampire fighting eventually comes on full force and Meena has to save one of her friends from the creatures of darkness. At this point, the story moves quickly and gets the reader more involved. Meena's psychic abilities come into play more, which is a nice touch.

In the end, INSATIABLE is a genre novel that could be a fun read for those who enjoy Meg Cabot and her style of writing. It also will doubtlessly entice readers who are interested in vampire books, which, in recent years, seem to be growing in popularity and sales.

Soap Opera writer Meena Harper hates the whole "vampire craze" that seems to be so popular these days and doesn't understand why her show "Insatiable" has to include a vampire storyline to increase ratings. So when her producers ask her to write about something that she doesn't believe in (vampires), she fights the change at every turn and questions the direction that the show is going in. However while Meena does not believe in vampires, she does have the uncanny ability to foresee a person's death, and feels a need to try to save them, thus escaping their fate.

Meanwhile, Mary Lou, Meena's nosey neighbor has decided to set her up with a Prince/Professor Lucien Antonescu who surprisingly is the same mysterious stranger who rescued her from a swarm of attacking bats, and she could not see his future. Having spent a lifetime seeing other people's future deaths, she is relieved to see that she can not see his. And while the romantic sparks fly, there is one tiny problem, Lucien is a vampire, and not just any vampire, but a Master Vampire and the son of Vlad the Impaler. In town to punish the vampire that is their threatening their existence by killing and feeding on women (leaving them in plain sight), he is pleased to meet Meena and even more intrigued when he realizes her blood allows him to see the future of humans, as well as experienced feelings that he thought long ago suppressed. Enter into the calculation the mysteriously sexy, although dangerous vampire hunter Alaric Wulf, who secretly works as a Palatine Guard, who are part of a secret organization with ties to the Roman Catholic Church. While he normally hates those who fraternize with the undead, he soon finds himself drawn to Meena. As the forces push the three into an enjoyable dance to save and redeem each other, the true story behind the killings become clear. It would seem that Lucien's own half brother has set these events in motion and is trying to take his throne as the "Prince of Darkness" and will use all means at his disposal to take over the family business including Meena's soap opera and her secret "talent". As the lines intersect into a delightful showdown where they are forced to take sides, we are pleased and delighted with the outcome.

I really enjoyed Insatiable. This was my first Meg Cabot novel and hopefully it will not be my last, especially if she writes another Meena Harper story. She definitely left room for a sequel and I can't wait to see what happens. There were several things that I enjoyed about this tale......(1) Cabot did not have the nice, pretty ending that most paranormal characters have this days, as it pertains to vampires. In this story, Meena did not run blindly towards the life of a vampire like most protagonist do, and while it would be easier to be with the man she loves as a vampire, she relishes giving up her "life". She sees that living, although it may mean not being with her love (the man who can turn into a dragon), it is better than dying. (2) And while the easy thing would have been turning Meena into a vampire allowing them to live together for all eternity, the bad guy (who really wasn't that bad at all) makes the difficult decision to honor her wishes and leave that fight for another day. Fighting every impulse to force her to submit to his will (after all he is the Prince of Darkness) he truly loves Meena and will wait patiently until she willingly comes back to him. I for one was HAPPY that Cabot didn't make their relationship easy and look forward to seeing how it is resolved, if ever. But you know what, if it isn't....I'm ok with how it did end, and creating my own ending. (3) I also really enjoyed the hardened vampire hunter (Alaric Wulf) softening (while still seeming hard on the outside) as the story progressed. I think the relationship that evolved between the three of them (Meena, Alaric and Lucien) was believable and endearing. Finding mutual respect and ultimately wanting the best for the other person, whether it is what is best for them, made the story more bitter sweet and endearing. (4) And the other characters introduced in the story were delightful and funny. Among them were Jon, Meena's brother who just wants to find his place in the world...whether it be a police officer or a vampire hunter working for the Palatine, and Leisha, Meena's pregnant bestfriend, whose future appears murky and unsure. There are Meena's odd neighbors, who also happen to be vampires, Emil and Mary Lou....who end up being good guys after all. There is Jack Bauer, Meena's sweet Chow Pomeranian mix that can detect vampires and tries to warn her at every turn. In other words, there were a ton of delightful character that made this a pleasant read. And (5) finally, Cabot has a writing style that initially seems funny, but underlying the humor are serious issues that unfold beautifully. To make a long review short, "Insatiable" has the beginnings of a great series and I can only hope that Cabot writes a sequel that will allow me to visit these characters and storyline again.

Meena Harper is a dialogue writer for Insatiable, TV's number two daytime soap--the she hopes to become head writer for the show she's loved for years (even before she worked on it). There's something else Meena Harper does, something she doesn't let everyone know about . . . she knows when people are going to die just by meeting them.

She knows from experience that people aren't quite open to receiving her news, so she's found ways to warn them without quite telling them why they need to keep her number around or avoid elevators or chicken wings.

Meena's life is about to get a whole lot more interesting because not only is Insatiable about to introduce a vampire storyline to compete with Lust the number one soap (which Meena hates because vampires are misogynistic monsters), but her talkative neighbor sends out an e-vite for a dinner party with her husband's cousin, a Romanian prince who's in town.

Lucien Antonescu, a history professor in Budapest is in town to catch a serial killer leaving exsanguinated girls in NYC parks--and, apparently, attend a dinner party.

Soon, his nemesis Alaric Wulf of the Palatine Guard-a group of vampire hunters headed by the Vatican--is also in Meena's life and a vampire war is under way. Not to mention her pregnant best friend or her laid off brother living with her trying to convince her best friend's also laid off husband to become a cop.

While it's true the summary makes it sound like there are about ten million things going on in Insatiable (and the the store one says some things that I'm pretty sure aren't revealed until later a good bit later on--or I missed them!), it's okay because it's 464 pages. And because it all works together.

The characters each have their own things going on and their own reason for being in the story; they're not just there to provide something another character needs. And a soap opera is a perfect backdrop for a vampire story if you think about it--the absurdity that's always in soaps and the suggestion of vampires to normal people being absurd if you're rational.

Meena hating vampires, being so sure they're fictional (and also kind of dumb), and also being so, so against having them on her soap made the story even more enjoyable. Really this is partially an anti-vampire book that is also the best vampire book I've read in ages.

The relationships between the characters are so real and compelling that I wanted more because I really just couldn't get enough of any of them--or this story.I think this is a series and I desperately, desperately hope it is because there are certain characters/relationships/storylines that I really just need more of--and soon.

I'm starting to think I do better with Meg Cabot's adult books than I do with her YA books (and wonder if that's true for anyone else?). I think this was her NaNoWriMo novel, too and that's just insanity to me.

(This is from my review blog where I mostly review YA books, but I decided to leave it in here as well: Content-sise it is above a YA content level--not like Jeaniene Frost's Halfway to the Grave but a little more than Cabot's own Size 12 Is Not Fat. If you're good with that content level I very much suggest reading it!)

(Sent to me by the publisher for review)

Keep writing Ms. Cabot...loved Insatiable & the Heather Wells series. Could not put this book down & though a little behind in my reading, since I just retired, I realize these books were written about seven years ago & trying to catch up. Love the characters you write about.

Wow! This book was amazing. I loved the character of Meena, she is fun and upbeat and had me laughing a few times in the book with her dry humor. This has to be my all time favorite Meg Cabot book. When I wasn't reading it I was thinking about what was going to happen next.
I have to say that I was shocked with the ending. I am used to happy endings and everyone falling in love with each other and living happily ever after. I was stunned with the decisions that Meena made at the end of this book.
One thing is for sure, you will be be amazed at how many twists and turns this story takes. And fair warning, when you read this book you are going to think you know what happens towards the end, but you're not. I thought I had the whole book figured out, this book is completely different from any vampire book I have read. This is Meg Cabot's best!

Here is a description from the back of the book that caught my interest right away. It also describes Meena and Lucien's relationship a little.

*"Ever since I left you this morning" Lucien said, "I've had the oddest sensation that I know how almost every human I've come into contact with is going to die. And not, whatever you might think of me, by my own hands. Would you care to tell me what, exactly, is going on?"
Meena let out a sigh. "It's me," she said. "It'll probably go away after your next feeding."
His grip on her tightened. "What are you talking about?" he rasped.
"You drank my blood," she reminded him. "This should teach you to be more careful. You are what you eat, you know."

Meena hates vampires. They're ruining her life.

First, they invade her work. Meena doesn't get the promotion to head writer she's been hoping to achieve. Then they announce the popular daytime drama will be adding a vampire storyline to compete with its major competition.

Second, there's a serial killer on the loose, leaving dead female bodies drained of their blood in the various parks of New York City.

Third, Meena goes out to walk her dog, Jack Bauer, in the middle of the night. She's attacked by numerous bats, but protected by a mysterious man. She almost thinks she dreamed this late night incident.

Fourth, she starts dating this man after meeting him again at a party, only to discover he's a vampire prince - ruler of all vampires. She discovers the truth about her boyfriend after a member of Palatine, Alaric Wolf, comes to warn her and worm his whereabouts out of her. She refuses to give up his location, even when she realizes that he IS the prince of darkness.

Lucien, despite his family history, seems to love Meena and wants to protect her. However, Alaric Wolf can't stand by and let that happen. He's determined to rescue Meena if it's the last thing he does.

When she puts everything together, Meena's seriously annoyed, but with a vampire war looming, which side will she end up on?

I LOVED this book. Meena is sweet with a wicked sense or humor, snarky, and feisty. Plus, she has a secret where she can see how people are going to die. Her vampire romance is sexy and sweet. Lucien's one part charming and one part dangerous. Wolf is amusing. Meena's vampire neighbors are hilarious - always causing a ruckus in the vampire world, all in the name of matchmaking. All in all, it's a charming, sexy read full of romance, danger, protective men, and one kick-butt heroine.

While this is an adult novel, I think some older teens will naturally gravitate towards it because it's Meg Cabot - and also vampires!

Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel

Never having experienced any of Meg Cabot's works previous to Insatiable, I really didn't know quite what to expect. I knew I would probably love her books, just like the rest of humanity seems to, but I wasn't sure. Insatiable definitely showed me what I have been missing, while also making me wish I had lost my Meg Cabot virginity to one of her other books.

Meena was a quirky, fun character that was easy to relate to. She is stressed, ornery, and straight up pissed at the world. But her knight in shining armor comes along and she is more than willing to be swept into his arms. But then another knight comes along, threatening to destroy the newfound light--or dark--in her life. Despite some dark elements, Cabot was able to make all of the characters lighthearted and fun to read.

I loved Meg Cabot's writing style, straight up loved it. It was fun, quick, and light. There were definitely times when I laughed out loud, which is something I don't usually do. On the same token, there were times that I was so caught up in the engrossing action that I couldn't take my eyes off the page.

The beginning of this book was slow, and there were times when I didn't think I could finish this book, but once I got drawn into the plot, I couldn't stop reading. I just had to know what happened next, and the addiction factor was definitely a plus for me. I just wish the real action would have started a lot sooner.

I feel like this book is kind of making fun of the whole vampire craze, which I found really amusing. Meg Cabot is able to write a real, entertaining and well written story while still being satirical about the vampire infection sweeping across the world.

After reading Insatiable, I am eager to get my hands on Meg Cabot's other works, particularly her young adult books. I am hoping those will take off quicker than this book did, while still having Meg Cabot's light and entertaining voice within their pages. If you're looking for a more mature, lighthearted take on vampires, Insatiable is where it's at.

Story: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
Originality: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Ending: 4/5
Cover: 3/5

"Insatiable" is a fun and humorous addition to the vampire novel genre. The main character, Meena Harper, is a psychic with the unfortunate ability to tell when and how every person she meets is going to die. She has developed the habit of giving out her card to random people she meets and telling them to call her if they find themselves in a "situation" - which she knows, they inevitably will. Meena writes for a daytime soap opera and loves her job until the powers that be decide to jump on the vampire bandwagon by adding the supernatural creatures to the soap's storyline. Meena thinks this move is completely ridiculous until the vampire Prince of Darkness himself, Lucien Antonescu, walks into her life. Not only is he a wealthy Prince with smoldering good looks, but Meena can't tell when he is going to die because he is already dead. Naturally, she finds this combination irresistible - even when a masculine vampire hunter employed by the Vatican reveals Lucien's otherworldly secret to her.

Meena is a spunky, relatable character with an equally amusing brother. The two share an apartment and I enjoyed the scenes that focused on their relationship. Leave it to a pesky brother to think the vampire hunter out to kill Meena's boyfriend is "cool" and take to following him around in the hopes of becoming a hunter himself. Add a rebellious vampire movement bent on disobeying Lucien and killing human women to the mix and what you have is an entertaining, fast-paced story that you'll look forward to reading. The only reason I gave this book 4 instead of 5 stars is that the ending was a little unsatisfying for my tastes. It was a real cliffhanger. I hope that indicates Cabot is already working on a sequel!

NY Times bestselling author, Meg Cabot, was born in Bloomington, Indiana. In addition to her adult contemporary fiction, she also writes young adult books like the bestselling series, The Princess Diaries. She resides in Key West, Florida with her husband.

Meena Harper is so sick of vampires, but her boss is now making her write them into the plot of the soap opera she works for, Insatiable. Though she doesn't believe in vampires, Meena is no newbie to the paranormal. Not that anyone believes her, but Meena knows how everyone is going to die---a gift, or curse, she's had since childhood. But not even her visions prepare her for Lucien Antonescu. Dark, mysterious, handsome Lucien saves her one night from a crazy swarm of bats, and now it seems they are destined to be connected. Except the attraction between them leads to a series of events that threatens all they hold dear, and the very fate of the world. As Meena fights beside Lucien for her life, she soon realizes a very big problem---Lucien is already dead.

Without putting up a spoiler alert, I'll just say this. The author in me respects and bows down to the ending, both in context and the implications, or openness. But the avid reader in me couldn't help but be disappointed at the lack of closure.

In saying that, there's no doubt that Meg Cabot knows what she's doing. She writes with wit, charm, steam, and tension. Readers, I feel, will not be let down, nor be able to put this down until the last page. Perfect setting, perfect cast. Bravo.

Kelly Moran,
author of SUMMER'S ROAD
and WHEN THE LEAVES STOP FALLING

INSATIABLE is my introduction to Meg Cabot's writing. From the beginning, I was hook. Meena Harper loves her job as a dialogue writer for a popular daytime soap. What she doesn't like is the fact she was passed over for a promotion and her new boss is adding vampires to the script. To do so will cheapen the show.

One dark night, she meets Lucien Antonescu who saves her from a bat attack. An undercurrent of chemistry immediately connects the two, but each are hiding something about themselves. When a vampire slayer shows up at her doorstep looking for Lucien, she thinks he's insane. Little does she know that vampires are real and once they find out her secret, they'll want to drink her dry. That is, all but Lucien and the vampires who seek to live peacefully among the humans.

I loved so much about this book. Lucien and Meena together is one, but I also love Alaric Wulf who at first seemed to be a bad guy. Later in the story, I fell in love with him too, but not enough that I want to see him hook up with Meena. I'm strictly team Lucien.

All the characters jumped off the page, even the minor ones. Their dialogue was witty, funny, and even sometimes sad. At the end, I had a meltdown until discovering there will be a sequel. Now that I know, I can relax and wait to see what will happen next. Come on book two!

Meg Cabot is a multi-faceted author, writing adult, young adult and juvenile books. This book is definitely meant for an adult audience, however, I personally didn't find anything in it that would be objectionable for older teens.

This book is different from the other adult romances I've read from Meg Cabot (which have all been chick lit/comedy type romances). If that is the type of story you are looking for, this story is not it. However, this book is a solid, well-written and enjoyable entry in the hugely popular vampire "romance" genre. I put "romance" in quotes because I don't feel like the romance element to this story is the main element in it. It's more about two factions of vampires and the secret society bound to protect humankind from vampirekind and how Meena ends up smack dab in the middle of it all. This book seems to have been written as the beginning of a new series and, as such, there isn't complete resolution at the end (like many romances have). That said, the end does not leave you hanging, for which I was definitely grateful.

Meena's and Alaric's characters are well developed, however, I do wish that Lucien's character had been a little more so. Maybe it's because he seemed to have less "page" time than the other two but I'd like to see him become more three dimensional in the next book.

The plot was fun and fast paced, especially towards the end. It was a quick read and I look forward to future installments in this series.

I both loved & hated this book.

The characters are incredibly one dimensional, very flat, and for the most part, you can't like any of them. I loved the premise - the main character, Meena, is psychic & knows when people are going to die, and she ends up meeting up with the Prince of Darkness. I loved the little bits tying in history & real places. I did like the pop culture references, though I wish there weren't quite so many of them. There is some attempts at humor throughout the book, though the jokes were mainly as flat as the characters.

All of that being said, I couldn't put the book down & read the book pretty quickly, lugging my library hardcover copy back & forth to work every day just so I could read a few minutes every day at lunch time. I wish I had realized that there is an intended sequel, because the book was very much written like it was setting you up for a sequel but that drove me nuts at the time because I didn't know that. I felt like there were all these open storylines. And the book leaves you with a cliffhanger which made me so mad I threw the book across the room (sorry, library).

Will I read the sequel? yes, probably. I'm addicted to vampire books of all kinds, even the badly written ones. Will I be impatiently waiting for it to come out? Probably not. Will I pay money for the sequel? No, probably not, I'll wait for a library copy. But I will recommend this book to other vampire lovers, especially other modern-day vampire lovers.

This book is the "Scream" of paranormal fiction! Remember how that movie kinda poked fun at the horror genre at the same time it was itself a horror flick? Meg Cabot has done that with Insatiable! She pokes a bit of fun at the whole popular vampire fiction craze (oh yes, there are references to sparkly vamps and Sookie Stackhouse) at the same she is pulling off telling an awesome bit of vampire fiction herself. Loved it!

This was such a fun and clever read and what I loved MOST was that Cabot totally respected Stoker. You know, that guy who wrote Dracula, the forefather of all our modern vampire stories?? It seems so many modern authors writing vampire fiction have never even read Dracula. And while I think it's perfectly acceptable for authors to create their own versions of vampires, I absolutely loved the fact that this book drew from the original Dracula.

First of all, we have the characters names...Meena Harper and her brother Jon Harper. If you're read Stoker, you'll remember the characters Mina and Jonathan Harker. Mina is generally considered a pretty submissive female protag (and Meena starts off that way, but more on that later.) In Stoker's Dracula, Mina possesses telepathic abilities and Cabot's Meena has abilities of her own...she can tell how someone will die just by looking at them. Insatiable also introduces us to vampire hunter Alaric Wulf, and his boss Abraham Holtzman. Of course Stoker's famed vampire hunter was Abraham Van Helsing...see how brilliant this all is???

Cabot wrote Insatiable as if Stoker's Dracula was the true history of vampirism and even weaves references to Stoker himself into the story. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed reading a vampire book that actually FELT like a vampire book. The vamps could be scary and that's exactly how vamps should be as far as I'm concerned.

Insatiable is able to stand on its own as an incredibly entertaining book. So much here is clever and original and this book really has a little of everything to offer: Humor (Jon Harper, Meena's brother, was hilarious...he is unemployed and when Alaric the vampire hunter shows up, Jon asks if they are hiring =)There is, of course, romance...not to mention a very exciting finale that had elements that took me completely by surprise.

I must confess to getting a little discouraged in the middle of this one despite all it has going for it and I'll tell you why. Meena goes on ONE date with Lucien the vamp, falls into bed with him and BAM! the next day she is convinced she is in love with him. And THEN, actually says to him that very afternoon..."I thought I knew you." Seriously?? SERIOUSLY?? I HAVE to go on record and say I am SO tired of books that do these two things...
1. Heroine immediately ends up in bed with the book's love interest. This is usually explained away by saying it's been oh so very long since she has been with a man, we simply can't blame her for being so slutty. Or we are led to believe it's supernatural forces bringing them together. Geez you vampire loving heroines, keep your legs closed for at least a couple of dates!!!
2. After a couple of hours of conversation and a couple hours of sex, our heroines ARE IN LOVE. Again, SERIOUSLY? C'mon authors...make me believe the main characters actually have a REASON to fall in love with each other.

Ok, mini rant over. And while yes, Insatiable did these things, I have to say Cabot made up for it and Meena totally and completely redeemed herself in a major way. MAJOR! I actually ended up loving the book even more for how this all played out.

Bottom line: One of the best paranormals I've read...the kind of book that makes you wish you had come up with the idea..SO very clever, intelligent and original...just an all around awesome summer read!

I really struggled to get through this book. I was not sure if it was supposed to be a complete parody or serious. The three stars are for the fact I made it but, at times, I was not entirely sure I would! For some reason it reminded me of those old Airplane and Police Academy movies - the more kind of slapstick humor that is in your face vs. subtle suggestion and dry wit. Not my favorite at all. I'll grant there were funny moments in the novel and this elevated it enough for my star rating but this gets a solid It's O.K from me..nothing more enthusiastic than that.

Firstly it took me a long time to generate any interest in this novel - like 150 pages long time. None of the characters were appealing to me - I just didn't like them very much. Secondly, I agree with the other reviewer who said Jason Stackhouse for Meena's brother- clearly that's the image I had. Unfortunately Meena was not as appealing to me as Sookie.

The book did get better midway through - but not so much as to bring my rating up. As for a beach read that is definitely what I would consider it - but honestly there are better out there. I've never read Cabot before and I'm sure I'll pick up another of her books at some point. I don't think I'll be picking up any more of Meena Harper though.

Synopsis
Meena is having a bad week. She didn't get the promotion she wanted, bills are piling up, she is invited to her annoying neighbor's dinner party, and she has forseen yet another person's death. Then, as she heads out to walk her neurotic dog, Jack Bauer, she is attacked by bats. However, she is saved by a handsome, mysterious man. The best part? She doesn't see a death for him. She knows there is some mystery about him, but can she fight her growing attraction for him?

Review
I stayed up until 3am finishing this book last night. Meg Cabot's books are always fun to read and her pacing keeps the pages turning. I really enjoyed Meena's unusual problems, and while it feels there were a lot of issues that weren't resolved, I have to keep reminding myself that the book takes place over a very short period of time. Plus, while I don't really understand Meena's particular issues with Lucian at the end of the book, it did feel like she was setting up for a series. Meena was a great heroine, feisty and confused, and her supporting cast are pretty entertaining as well.

Recommendation
If you enjoy vampire stories that aren't too cheesy, you'll enjoy this. Read it. :)

Insatiable is a light, enjoyable paranormal with a bit of a chick lit feel. It's funny and modern, with roots in history.

Meena knows when people are going to die and she embraces that gift as much as possible. Even though most people never believe her, she still tries to at least give them a nudge in a life saving direction. She lives with her unemployed brother Jon and has been single for a very long time. Enter Lucien, the vampire prince. And Alaric, the Palantine guard sworn to hunt and kill the vampire menace.

Meena is a soap opera writer and has just been forced to add a vampire storyline to the show, not that she believes in them, even after meeting Lucien. There's a bunch of foreshadowing with the symbol of the Dracul (Lucien's half-brother's band of bad guy vamps). Even with the hinting and the build-up, the bizarre turn during the big fight scene is still just weird. Better to have skipped that particular twist.

All-in-all Insatiable is a fun vampire romp that manages to maintain a deadly edge throughout. A great mix of humor and death.

Best known for her series "The Princess Diaries", Meg Cabot has turned her sights from the Genovian government to the political world of vampires.

Meena Harper, a dialogue writer for daytime soap opera Insatiable, loves her job and tolerates her co-workers. A fan of Insatiable since she was a little girl, Meena strives to make the show the best on air. But things turn ugly quickly when she is instructed to add vampires to the show.

Sick of the wave of vampires - or "monster misogynists" as Meena calls them - that have flooded popular culture, Meena balks at ruining her precious soap opera with the bloodsucking creatures.

What Meena doesn't know, however, is vampires are very real and she's dating the Prince of Darkness himself. Perhaps this explains why her ability to know when and how people are going to die (did I forget to mention that part?) doesn't work with her already dead boyfriend.

Add in a vampire hunter, a jealous undead brother, and a royal assassination attempt and you have a riveting novel on your hands.

Part parody, part romance, part mystery, and part thriller Cabot weaves a delectable tale that you will really want to sink your teeth into (pun intended).

With a teaser that blatantly says - "Sick of vampires? So is Meena Harper." - how could I resist...add that it is from the all time Queen of ChickLit, Meg Cabot and you have the perfect "beach read"! ...you know the book that you just sit down and devour!

From the description I thought that this was going to be "Sex & the City" meets "Twilight", but Meena Harper is no Carrie Bradshaw. Meena is the script writer for a popular soap opera looking to up it's ratings by adding a "vampire storyline" to cash in on the huge new trend! ...not something Meena is looking forward to.

When you open Insatiable you get the television studio, behind the scenes glamour, the crazy neighboor, a dark and brooding prince and you have the basic ingredients - but this is Meg Cabot! Not content to simply bring you yet another tale of Vampires living among us, Cabot throughout pokes fun at and makes reference to the other books and TV shows of this ilk. But this vampire romance has a MUCH different outcome...pick this up and take it on your next vacation.

Older teens and young adults will love this.

Insatiable is a perfectly inoffensive read that can't decide exactly what it wants to be. Is it a spoof? Is it homage? Is it book one of a vampire series? There are a lot of great concepts here but some mixed executions. By the end of the book aspects of it that seemed fun and original wear out their welcome. Thankfully, and I hope you won't consider this a spoiler, there isn't a single werewolf to be found. (Because really, if werewolves and vampires keep hanging out sharing chicks, people are going to talk.) For just over the first half of the book I was absolutely in love with it. Then a spoof character takes a sudden turn toward the path of serious male romantic lead and the book began to fall apart.

Initially, Meena appeared to be on my side. She loves handbags, she is completely annoyed with women in vampire lore falling for guys who are obviously abusive and she appreciates a good daytime drama. Meena and I were really getting along. Ok, so she can tell people when they're going to die, but that's just a twist on Sookie Stackhouse and this is a spoof story, right? Suddenly, Meena is perfectly ok with having a much, much, much older lover who talks her into things she had previously refused to consent to. She finds a man who has to fight the impulse to kill her charming, and discovers some of her best friends (well ok more like neighbors) are vampires. The love triangle kicks off, vampire nightclubs appear and vampire showdowns start rolling. Just when you think things can't go farther over the top (or become more conventional) they do. And to reveal how would be a serious spoiler. But it's a bit much, even for a book that leaves absolutely no vampire icon untouched.

From Love at First Bite to Dead Until Dark: A Sookie Stackhouse Novel, and of course Dracula itself, Insatiable tips it's hat to all of them. Using Stoker's character names to set up the multi-generational star crossed soul mate concept, Meg Cabot takes what started as a promising spoof and ends up with the first chapter of more of the same. It doesn't help that one side of her triangle starts the book as comic relief nor that when Meena's brother begs her not to become one of those women who excuse their abuser you know Meena is already on that path. There is nothing wrong with Insatiable from the stand point of an easy chick lit vampire read, but it disappoints a reader looking for a send up of the vampire craze. (And I still don't buy the triangle.)

30-something Meena Harper is a NYC single corporate career woman who writes scripts for a popular soap opera. She loves her job but thinks twice when she is presented with an idea to write vampires into the script. She despises anything to do with vampires(especially because their stories seem to be everywhere these days)and it seems all too ironic when she herself, falls in love with one. Her reaction and gradual acceptance of learning she's dating a vampire, not just any vampire, but the son of the Prince of Darkness is so realistic it kept me turning the pages WITHOUT rolling my eyes.

Her sanity is saved somewhat by an unexpected romance later with a vampire slayer.When Meena inevitably decides a normal relationship with a vampire just won't work, even if he does have a ton of money to buy her the 5000.00 tote bag with the dragon on the side that she always wanted. Of course the vampire won't give her up without a fight and allowing his anger to turn him into something Meena nor anyone would ever imagine.

Now, Meena is fighting for her life but its not what you would think.

I find the character's disruptively annoying - who let's someone rip their clothes to inspect their body and then become friends with them? The best friend's husband and John are both idiots - I wish they weren't such big parts of the big.

I listened to the audio book and find the narrator's voice pleasant until she started doing accents. I don't recommend this book in the slightest, but definitely not the audio book.

In this vampire spoof, Meg Cabot writes a fun chick-lit book.

Yes, it is predictable and the attraction between Lucien and Meena doesn't make much sense, but the book is still enjoyable. Meena is a soap writer for her favorite show. After losing her dream job and finding out that the show in going in a fanged direction, Meena meets Lucien, a guy who she can imagine a future with. You see, Meena can see when people are going to die, and since Lucien is a vampire, she doesn't see his death.But Meena doesn't know what Lucien is (which makes her seem dumb) and she gets entangled into soap-opera worthy trouble. Humorous and tongue-in-cheek, INSATIABLE makes for a great summer beach read and while the changing POV's hurt character development, it's still a fun read. Fan of Meg Cabot's books should definitely check this one out!

Before I begin, I wanted to describe my experience upon receiving a copy of this book. I walked into my house after a long day in Manhattan with my mother. I was tired from having to wake up so early to commute to the city for a haircut, I ate way too much chocolate for one day, and I was not expecting to see about five packages stacked on top of each other on our breakfast counter. Neither was my mom.

The package from Meg Cabot was the first I tore into. My heart froze upon seeing the beautiful cover staring back at me. A two minute (literally) screaming-fest ensured, where I was jumping up and down, staring at the ARC, note, and bookmarks I had in my clutches. I imagined that numerous people had requested a copy to review, and here I was, with an actual copy. I was so lucky!

My mom was staring at me with the queerest of looks, while my puppy jumped up and down around my feet, barking in excitement while never truly knowing what was going on. Upon realizing that I was a "mature" 21 year old, I forced myself to calm down. Then, I explained that Insatiable was going to be a modern sequel to Bram Stoker's Dracula. It was then that I had to fend off my own mother, whose interest was to steal my precious ARC from me in order to read it also.

Suffice to say, the book is still in one piece, and I devoured it in two days. It would have been one if I didn't have class when I started it.

Moving on, I admit that I have grown somewhat wary of vampires at this point. Not only has the book market surpassed its saturation point with these fanged creatures, but they have also lost a vital part of their original identity. I appreciate the vampire-craze that Twilight created, however, I did not appreciate the new, modern version of vampires. Where was that dark, seductive side? Where had the predator disappeared to? Surely, vampires couldn't be this soft now. Which is why, while I love Meg's writing, I was somewhat wary of this book due to the widely accepted and humanized version of the predator.

I was pleasantly surprised while reading Insatiable. The first chapters previewed on Meg's website mesmerized me, and this captivation lasted throughout the entire book. Not only did Meg successfully create a strong heroine that I adored (hated Bella), but she also managed to make me constantly squeal in hysterical laughter.

Meena is the type of woman interested in saving lives. Meg made a parallel betwixt her character and Joan of Arc, which I completely agree with. While the young woman had her moments of weakness--considering some of the things she discovered, who wouldn't?--she was not the type of character to cower in a corner. She did not rely on a man to solve her problems.

Due to this alone, I feel that Meg succeeded in her journey to weave an empowering female remarkably similar to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I was somewhat disappointed by the end of the book, because I'm the type of girl who craves for a happily ever after. Although Lucien is a vampire, I want him to finally be happy--crave for him to be. I was almost mad at Meena for what she decided to do.

Meg also succeeded in redeeming vampires. Lucien, while the sole exception, had both a vulnerable side, and lived up to his name. He was ruthless when forced to be. He was tender and endearing around Meena, while also being a predator in the process. One knew to fear the Prince of Darkness--especially towards the end of the book with the huge final battle. I found this addition to Lucien's abilities to be not only strange, but also extremely interesting, unique, and refreshing. It helped reinforce the idea that you should not piss off a vampire.

The only problem I had with the book was the "attraction" betwixt Meena and Alaric being somewhat unconvincing for me. It is important to note, however, that Meena is under the impression that Alaric is annoyed when forced to be around her. I would have enjoyed a bit of exploration in regards to why she felt compelled to show the tiny forms of affection toward the man--especially since she was supposed to be in love already. Likewise, I would have enjoyed being shown why Lucien always looked so sad, instead of being told that he was.

I can guarantee you that I will be fighting tooth and nail to receive a copy of the second book in this series. The only way I can describe how I felt after reading the final page was this: "I have to wait a whole YEAR until the next book!?" To be completely honest, I'm not entirely sure how I'll be able to manage.

So I just read passed the first sex scene.... correction, they started to get into some foreplay, I rolled my eyes and flipped forward a couple of pages. Then I doubled checked the front of the book. Yup. it says Meg Cabot... it says it is the same Meg Cabot who wrote such classic series as The Princess Diaries and The Heather Wells Mystery, but this is garbage. I can't stand the whole vampire thing, so when I read the description I thought, "Yes! Meg Cabot is taking on the ridiculousness of the vampires!" But alas, it is just another cheesy vampire/human romance novel. I give this 30 more minutes of reading to decide if it is worth finishing. I'm not betting on it though.

Meg Cabot is brilliant with her cheeky vampire romance. It was like reading an episode of 30 Rock with vampires. The mystery of who the bad guy is wasn't difficult to figure out, but you can never really be sure what little scramble-brained powerhouse Meena Harper will decide to do. Meena becomes that girl she never wanted to be and finds herself tangled up in an unhealthy romance. In the end she has to admit this to herself...she is a character that stumbles and makes huge mistakes and actually learns something. Not a lot of romance heroines get the chance to do that.
I think what made this book so funny was Cabot's constant references to other popular vampire romances. It was a wonderfully fun and smart tongue-in-cheek romance. I can't wait until the next book comes out summer 2011.

Insatiable was an extremely enjoyable read. The story revolves around Meena, a writer for a television soap opera show, who has not only no belief in vampires, but is ironically surrounded in them both in her work, and soon she will find out, her life outside of fictional story writing for the show she writes for. Meena ends up getting thrown into the middle of a huge vampire war that ends up revolving around her, due to unwitting romance with none other than the leader of all vampires. Throughout the story, Meena just can't seem to catch a break, and is seemingly at wits end and frazzled by each new turn of events. While not heavy on the cheap romance, thank goodness, the story is filled with a lot of action, humor, and suspense. Hard to put down once you get started.

I really enjoyed Meg Cabot's other books. She has been writing mostly for teens so I was excited to see that she had another book to once again appeal to the chic lit genre. Huge mistake. This book was absolutely horrible and could maybe have some appeal for pre-teens. I loathed the characters so much that I couldn't force myself to get to even the halfway point. Save yourself the aggravation and skip this one. Hopefully she'll come back to her previous writing self with the next one.

I was completely sucked into the whole story about 1/2 through then there were too many characters to keep track of and the ending completely fell flat. It was kinda of a BIG disappointment. I thought i saw the character development go one way and then all the decisions made at the end of the book didn't fit with the characters personalities at all. I wouldn't recommend this book the story just fell flat. it had potential to be great too. major disappointment

Meg Cabot has out done herself with INSATIABLE. It's current, it's funny, it's fresh and witty and packed with can't put down suspense involving vampires. Our heroine, Menna Harper, is a dialogue writer for the second most popular soap opera. She's also a woman who can tell when a person is going to die when meeting them until she meets tall, dark and handsome Lucien Antonescu who doesn't have a time of expiration. Could this be her one true love? Then she meets Alaric Wulf, a member of a secret society that slays vampires. Alaric thinks Lucien is the "Prince of Darkness," and tries to convince Menna that her new boyfriend is descendant from Dracula. This is a great adult paranormal novel that will have you spellbound. Don't miss it!

Suzanne Coleburn, The Belles & Beaux of Romance
The Fairy Godmother of Romance 2002

I love trashy vampire novels. I read Twilight before the second book came out. This genre is by far my number one guilty pleasure. Trust me when I say I wasn't looking for anything original or outstanding - I just wanted a fun story. I listened to this book on CD on a long drive, and if it weren't for the lack of options, I would have never finished. The characters were flat, they made choices out of no where (one second she's going on about monster misogyny, then dating a vampire, then saving him from vampire hunters, then joining vampire hunters - with almost NO explanation in between), the book is filled with unnecessary rambling, and as someone mentioned before, the supposedly nearly 30 year old protagonist talked like a teenager from the Buffy era. I forgot this was supposed to be an adult book until some very awkward mentions of "black lace panties." All of this leads up to the LEAST SATISFYING ENDING EVER. It's not even a twist, it's just boring and inexplicable. Please, don't read this. Save yourself the torture.

I absolutely loved this book and couldnt seem to put it down.

I will say that it started off a little slow for me and I found myself confused between the time stamps in the chapters. The book narrates on 3 characters behalfs, so this is something that you have to get used to. Once I realized that each chapter switched between characters I understood the need for the date and time stamps.

I made my friends read the book just so I could discuss it with other people. Loved it!!! Not predictable at all in my opinion

I read this book and wasn't really expecting much and maybe that's why I enjoyed it more than others. It was a quick easy read with many vampire pop culture references. The characters have some glaring resemblances to other personas in vampire favorites like true blood. However, I enjoyed the tongue-in-cheek aspect of it. While joining the vampire bandwagon, the book seems to know how ridiculous the vampire craze is.

Not Meg Cabot's greatest work, but not terribly horrible either.

I really enjoyed this one. Insatiable is a modern day (loosely) based spin on Bram Stoker's Dracula. I'm a gothic horror geek (also a vampire geek), and Dracula is one of my favorites. Most of the vampire novels of today feature some wishy, washy vampires, not to mention some wishy, washy heroines. Not the case in insatiable. The storyline is witty and entrancing. I didn't want to put this one down. Definitely recommend.

Meena Harper, a writer for the soap opera Insatiable as well as a psychic who can see how people will die, is sick of vampires. However, she finds herself surrounded by them. At work, Meena is passed over for promotion and then informed that the soap is going in a new direction ... vampires. Then there is the sudden, chilling rash of women turning up in New York City parks murdered by exsanguination.

Enter Lucien Antonescu, vampire son of Vlad the Impaler (think Bram Stoker) and current Prince of Darkness. This sexy, heavy-hearted Romanian history professor is in town to hunt down the murdering vampires who have broken away from his order. On his first night in town, he rescues Meena from a flock of killer bats.

Next, throw Alaric Wulf into the mix. He's a vampire slayer from the Palatine Guard who is seeking to kill the murderers and the Prince of Darkness, and Alaric is the kind of guy that swings his sword first and then tries to ask a question or two. And being an intelligent guy, he figures he can use Meena to get to Lucien.

Alaric's plan doesn't work out, though, since Meena is in love with the Prince. Plus, she's seen a vision that Alaric and her brother Jon will be killed by her lover. So all Meena's interested in is keeping all parties involved alive and as far away from each other as possible.

Cabot pokes fun at the vampire craze with this tongue-in-cheek romance. Meena Harper (homage to Stoker's Mina Harker?) is a likable heroine, feisty, sarcastic and loyal. The constant action kept the pages turning with little effort. You may need to suspend belief while reading, but it'll be worth it.

Insatiable deals with three main characters. Meena a woman who can tell when and how people are going to die. Lucien a vampire who is also the son of Dracula who of course falls for Meena. Alaric a vampire hunter who majorly needs to work on his people skills and you guessed it falls for Meena. It is overall a really good book if not a little bit too predictable at times.

I loved this book. It was fresh, original, funny, and wonderfully written. The dialog felt real. The characters were great -- I particularly loved Alaric.

Personally, I'm not a fan of vampire romances (I don't find corpses or blood suckers in the least appealing) and I really liked the way she handled vampires in this book. Cabot's take is fresh and original rather than just another re-hash of what we've all seen a thousand time. Kudos.

A keeper that I will re-read.

Meg Cabot is one of my favorite authors. Her books are light, funny, and cute. Insatiable has a beginning that really lures you in, but after a while, the book drags. I agree with the reviewer who said that none of the characters (except for Lucien) are very likable - you get the feeling that everyone's a bumbling fool, Meena included. I read Cabot's books for a fantasy escape, not for a lesson in reality. Also, for those of you who like her graphic sexual passages and were expecting some in this novel, you're not going to get it!

Meg Cabot's Insatiable is still readable but not good. This novel feels like an editor's idea of trying to connect with the Twihard fans. Meg has written paranormals, but she writes smart, funny, modern normal heroines the best. It looks like this will be a series, but I will not be reading the rest of the books.

Meg Cabot may not write serious, heavy, complicated books, but I do enjoy her lighthearted breezy writing style, and her clever and kind-hearted heroines.
This book was fun, funny, and an easy and delightful way to spend a sunny afternoon. If you don't like psychics and vampires, then you need to look elsewhere, but if you're okay with the paranormal then I wholeheartedly recommend this title. I certainly hope Ms. Cabot plans to write a sequel - I for one will be waiting in line to buy it!

Cabot's work is usually bright, funny, easy to read and hard to put down. So I was excited to read this one, wondering what she could do with the vampire sensation that is sweeping the nation, both as a Cabot fan, and as an avid LKH and Anne Rice fan.

What I found was boring, typical Mary Sue main characters, a lackluster plot and terrible motivation. I'm not even finished with it yet, and I probably won't ever.

I don't know what it is, but the woman who brought us The Princess Diaries, Mediator series and Every Boy's Got One is feeling seriously uninspired.

The book had potential, it really did, but overall it was awful! I can not believe the author of such great works like the Princess Diaries completely fell flat. Like other reviews, I couldn't tell if this was an homage to vampires or well a stake through the heart. Here are my problems with the book:

1) It was difficult to get through the book because it was well... boring and I have seen all these characters before. Quite frankly I couldn't find enough compassion for any of the characters who seemed to be like all the other cookie cutter vampire book (al-la: Twilight and Trueblood) characters. I get it, you have a vampire who has no soul but after meeting the right woman appears to be different, because he is in love! (after a day none the less). Give us readers a break we are not all crazed Twi-hards, and for being a seemingly original author Ms.Cabot you offered nothing new. All the characters were stolen from a combination of Twilight/ Trueblood . Lucian= Edward/ Vampire Bill- nice but has a rough side Meena= Bella/Sookie- please three characters who ALL can read or control mind thoughts, please?! Alaric= Jacob/ Viking Vampire Eric(yum!)- dreamy and the heroine doesn't want to fall for him but is way to alluring because he is a jerk to said heroine. and Jon= Jason Stackhouse anyone, no really I don't need another idiot brother in a novel or show... JS is enough!

2) The wit used- I couldn't tell if Ms. Cabot was making fun of the vampire craze or if it was paying tribute to the great Dracula by Bram Stoker. It was never clear! I appreciate the attempt Meena gave to say that vampires were fictional and thought the idea for the soap opera was silly, but in the end Meena was more roped up in vampire drama then any other character!

3) THE CHARACTERS were terrible!!!!
Meena- super weak! I am sorry but if my boyfriend asked my to go on a super vacation to Thailand with him, honey I would already be packed and sitting on that plane. I digress.... Meena is defiantly not the next Rosie Riveter. Ms. Cabot's female characters are always so empowered and independent but apparently not this one! If I had just saved some jerks life and he was telling me what a horrible job I was doing and if he had the cojones to bully me into a job with his company, well I would probably tell him to *%$# off and hope that Senor Sticky falls in a covenant place on his body. She was just bland through and through- nothing super special about her personality- I say more of that sassy Leisha and less wet blanket Meena.
Alaric- (trying to breath calmly...) What a jacka**. He did absolutely nothing but insult people, appear snobbish at every and any opportunity possible, and try and be the hero. What a skeeze, I mean who names a sword Senor Sticky, I can't even touch that one it's so gross! that boy deserves one swift kick in the pants.
Jon- I wish he wasn't in the novel. I get writing a book in a economical climate trying to say something about the failing economy in a tongue and cheek way but Jon doesn't seem qualified enough to greet people at a Wal-mart. Then he turns starts ALL the drama at the end of the book (I can not give away too much because it will spoiler this jem of a novel)
People who I liked: Mary-Lou, Leisha, Lucian, Jack Bauer- more of them in the next(gasp) novel!

I got my two sense out, and out of respect for the great writer that Meg Cabot once was I give the novel two stars.
PS: Dragons are so cool, I am not complaining about anything in that category!

Hmmm. A physic who deals with vampires. Kinda sounds an awful like the Southern Vampire Mystery (True Blood) books/show. Oh, but the main character is a psychic, not a telepath. Makes me think that the author jumped on the vamp/quasi human bandwagon.

Meh.....I should have stuck with the first line of the description: "Sick of hearing about vampires?". But still, I kept soldiering on, hoping it would get better..... One star for tired and worn plot line, 2-stars for the ability to keep me reading despite the tired and worn plot-line...