I’m a werewolf with rare power and an attraction to darkness.

Part of an organization dedicated to protecting the existence of supernatural beings, I hunt the rogues that threaten to expose us all. Not gonna lie. I love what I do. But when my ex and pack Alpha is accused of murder, it gets a lot trickier. If he’s guilty, I’ll have to be the one to take him out.

That means keeping my head in the game and not allowing sinfully alluring incubus vampire Arys to distract me. If Arys is anything, it’s darkness, and I can’t deny the power that draws us together. Falling into bed with him feels like a good idea at the time until it ends with an explosion of power and a soul-deep bond neither of us anticipated. But it comes at a price.

Now I’m craving blood and shying away from sunlight. And I don’t know how the hell to explain it to Shaz, the packmate who’s always been more than a friend. As the body count rises long-buried secrets are revealed. Secrets that prove not everyone is who I think they are. 
 
Not even me. 

This is an adult 18+ story that contains language, possible violence, and sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

Series – Alexa O’Brien Huntress = #1 Once Bitten – #2 The Wicked Kiss – #3 Only Vampires Cry Blood – #4 Blonde & Blue – #5 Death Wish – #6 Darker – #7 Freak Show – #8 September Moon – #9 Forget About Midnight – #10 Crazy Bitch – #11 Sinister Pretty – #12 Junkyard Queen – #13 Coda – #14 Apocalyptic – #15 Carnival of Sins – #16 When Darkness Reigns – #17 Envy & Everything After – #18 A Catastrophe of Angels –

Title:  Once Bitten
Series:  Alexa O’Brien Huntress #1
Author:  Trina M. Lee
Genre:  Paranormal/Urban Fantasy/Reverse Harem
Publication Date:  April 30, 2011
Star Rating:  3.5

One of the reasons I began this (new) blog was to showcase my love of all sub-genres of Paranormal Romance.  And… to finally read and review all of those series-starter books that I’ve collected but never got around to reading.  The Alexa O’Brien Huntress series began in 2011 and has a new release next month (October 2020), so it’s a proven, long-distance series with an obviously dedicated audience… and it was time for me to find out why by sitting down and reading Once Bitten.  I will state that I’ve never been a consistent reader of Reverse Harem titles, they simply didn’t appeal to me until I read a few books by authors I’ve become friends with over the years and have taken a second look at them now.  When written well and not for the shock value but enhancing the basic story, then they work for me.  If it’s no more than a titillating way to toss more sex into the mix, then no, not for me.

Once Bitten begins the Alexa O’Brien Huntress series with a story that drew me in rather quickly and held me there until the end.  Although the series began about a decade ago, it is still going strong today with eighteen (18) titles so far.  Told in the POV of Alexa we don’t really get much more than her perspective of events, her emotions, and reactions to what happens around her.  A few hints might sneak in here and there, but mostly we know what Alexa knows when she learns about it.

As we begin Alexa is a young werewolf with some magical abilities who is the Alpha of her small pack.  She has an ex, Raoul, who came across to me as totally manipulative and she was well off without him – but once upon a time, she shared her heart and soul with this guy so when he’s in trouble she cannot say no to helping him.  Also involved is Shaz, werewolf, best friend, lover, and the one guy that made the most sense to me for Alexa to be with exclusively.  In this one, I’m definitely on Shaz’s side and couldn’t really see why Alexa needs more than this one man who would do absolutely anything for her.  Then there is Arys, a vampire with a pull that she is incapable of denying… and that pull will change her life once again.

I said that Once Bitten drew me in, and it did in the sense of figuring out what Alexa is all about for she is a strong, powerful woman with magical abilities that even she is unsure of at this point in her life.  While I understood the pull both physically and emotionally she has toward Arys, he isn’t the one I saw her heart truly involved with… that would be Shaz, even though it often seems like Shaz is a second choice, the go-to when all else fails.

The reviews for this first story are all over the chart, and I’m not certain what changes or revisions have been made to this original series starter title.  It’s a good book, one that will appeal to some readers and not others.  For myself, it has my curiosity peaked now to the point of wanting to know a bit more before I decide if this is a series for me long-term or not, so I’ll be picking up The Wicked Kiss in the next week or so to find that out.

I own a Kindle edition of Once Bitten.

Available for the Kindle