Book Review: Overbite

Overbite (Insatiable #2)

By: Meg Cabot

Published By: William Morrow

Publication Date: July 2011

Page Count: 304

Buy it at Amazon or IndieBound

Source: Kindly Provided by the Publisher for TLC Book Tours

Audience: Adult - Paranormal Romance, Mystery

I began reading this one the minute I finished Insatiable. I couldn't wait to find out what was in store for Meena, Lucien, and Alaric in this volume. Meg Cabot doesn't waste any time in getting the reader back into the swing of things. The beginning of Overbite takes place six months after the showdown in the church that marks the ending of Insatiable. Life has certainly changed for Meena Harper. She's traded in her laptop and soap opera writing skills to work for the Palatine. Its her job to alert members of their impending deaths before heading out for demon slaying missions. There is just one small problem - she still can't seem to shake Lucien aka The Prince of Darkness from her heart - and her employer is bent on killing him. What's a girl to do?

I have to be honest and admit that this read was not as appealing as Insatiable was for m; it took me awhile to really get into this one. There was very little of the humor and sarcasm that made the first book so appealing to me. I loved that this was a series about a woman caught up in the world of vampires who hated vampire stories. It put a fresh spin on a tired genre, but this book seemed to let that momentum fizzle. It focused more on the arrival of Father Henrique and his new vision for how the Palatine Guard should operate. I did enjoy piecing together the mystery surrounding the Father's arrival and a mysterious book that belonged to Lucien's mother, but I wish that this new plot line had still retained the elements that made Insatiable such a fun read.

The addition of the New Jersey Devil and a stream that is rumored to be the devil's water made for some interesting new developments in the plot and character interactions. Overbite is certainly not without many merits, but it was slightly a letdown after Insatiable. I think if I had read this without having Insatiable under my belt then I would have liked it more. The characters just didn't seem to be themselves. Only Mary Lou and Jon seemed familiar. There also was not enough of Jack Bauer in this one; I missed that little guy. I also was saddened by the ending - it seemed to rushed and too perfect. 

Overall, I would still recommend this to those who are fans of  Cabot's work and readers of paranormal mysteries. I would read more books surrounding Meena, but the ending of this one didn't leave much unresolved issues. I just hope any future books would capture the essence of Insatiable a bit better. Overbite wasn't a bad read, but it didn't live up to the expectations set by book one.

One Last Gripe: This one seemed so rushed compared to Insatiable.

My Favorite Thing About This Book: The lore surrounding Lucien's mother and her book

First Sentence: Meena Harper knew things, things no one else knew ... things no one could know.

Favorite Character: Mary Lou

Least Favorite Character: David

Summary:

Meena Harper has a special gift, but it's only now that anyone's ever appreciated it. The Palatine Guard — a powerful secret demon-hunting unit of the Vatican — has hired her to work at their new branch in Lower Manhattan. With Meena's ability to predict how everyone she meets will die, the Palatine finally has a chance against the undead. 

Sure, her ex-boyfriend was Lucien Antonescu, son of Dracula, the prince of darkness. But that was before he (and their relationship) went up in flames. Now Meena's sworn off vampires for good ... at least until she can prove her theory that just because they've lost their souls doesn't mean demons have lost the ability to love. 

Meena knows convincing her co-workers — including her partner, über-demon-hunter Alaric Wulf — that vampires can be redeemed won't be easy ... especially when a deadly new threat seems to be endangering not just lives of the Palatine, but Meena's friends and family as well. 

But Meena isn't the Palatine's only hope. Father Henrique — aka Padre Caliente — New York City's youngest, most charming priest, has also been assigned to the case. 

So why doesn't Meena — or Alaric — trust him? 

As she begins unraveling the truth, Meena finds her loyalties tested, her true feelings laid bare ... and temptations she never even imagined existed, but finds impossible to resist. 

This time, Meena may finally have bitten off more than she can chew.

Meg Cabot was born in Bloomington, Indiana. In addition to her adult contemporary fiction she is the author of the bestselling young adult fiction series, The Princess Diaries. She lives in Key West, FL with her husband.

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Check out the other great stops on this tour:

Tuesday, February 7th: Reading Lark

Wednesday, February 8th: The Road to Here

Thursday, February 9th: Life In Review

Friday, February 10th: Just Joanna

Monday, February 13th: The Englishist

Tuesday, February 14th: Jenny Love to Read

Wednesday, February 15th: Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books

Thursday, February 16th: Books Like Breathing

Monday, February 20th: Book Drunkard

Tuesday, February 21st: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Wednesday, February 22nd: A Soul Unsung

Thursday, February 23rd: girlichef

Friday, February 24th: Chick Lit Reviews and News

Thursday, March 1st: Stiletto Storytime

Friday, March 2nd: Peeking Between the Pages

Friday, March 2nd: Seaside Book Nook