Bite Me, Your Grace

The nobles of 1821 London are swooning over lurid tales of undead creatures. Ian Ashton, Duke of Burnrath, is rumored to be a vampire; he needs to distract the ton before they realize the rumors are true. Feminist bluestocking Angelica Winthrop, who wants to be a gothic novelist like Mary Shelley, breaks in to Ian’s house looking for inspiration but ends up bitten. Remorseful and attracted, Ian proposes marriage to quiet the gossip both face after word gets around that they were alone in his house. A disloyal vampire and a pesky vampire hunter threaten their happy ending. Taking inspiration from Dr. John Polidori’s 1819 novel, The Vampyre, Ann’s breezy and entertaining debut features strong prose and interesting characters but relies heavily on shopworn genre tropes and stereotypes that weaken the original elements. Two sequels are in the works, offering opportunity for Ann’s storytelling to match her wit and humor. (Apr.)