The Vampire Who Loved me by Teresa Medeiros

Julian Kane is back in town.

Once, as a girl of seventeen, beautiful, headstrong Portia Cabot saved the cursed life of the dashing vampire Julian Kane-who marked her forever, then left to go in search of his soul. He returns five years later to find the enchanting young girl he left behind grown into a bewitching woman with a woman's heart . . . and a woman's desires.

Portia quickly discovers that Julian's seductive and forbidden kiss can still make her crave the night . . . and his touch. But the Julian who has returned to London is not the vampire she remembers. His fruitless pursuit of his stolen mortality has reduced him to drunken debauchery. And a recent spate of murders makes Portia fear that the man she has always adored may truly be a monster.

Julian knows he must drive Portia away-but his passion and hunger for her grow more irresistible every time they touch. For years he has fought the temptation to embrace his dark gifts, never realizing that Portia's love may give him the most dangerous gift of all . . . a reason to live.

First of all, I hate that cover. It looks like a cover for a contemp book not a historical. The guy also is not cute.

The story was ok. Julian wants to get his soul back. The only way is to track the vampire who sired him. Unfortunately, the vampire killed himself at the end of After Midnight. So now Julian has to find the vampire who sired that guy. And he does.

Valentine is a sexy, beautiful vampire who is obsessed with Julian. She wants him and is jealous of Portia. Apparently Julian says her name while he sleeps and sometimes while he's doing the deed with Valentine. So when Valentine stumbles upon Portia, she is all ready to kill Portia.

Portia was lovestruck with Julian when she was 17. When Julian was close to dying, she let him feed off her. Now at 22, she's still in love with him. Everyone tells her to stay away from Julian, but that only makes her more determined to find him.

Again, was not too impressed with the story. I knew Julian would get his soul back it was just a matter of when and how.

Grade: D

Fairest Of Them All by Teresa Medeiros

She was rumored to be the fairest woman in all of England. But Holly de Chastel considered her beauty a curse. She had turned away scores of suitors with various ruses, both fair and foul. Now she was to be the prize in a tournament of eager knights. Holly had no intention of wedding any of them and concocted a plan to disguise her beauty. Yet she didn't reckon on Sir Austyn of Gavenmore. The darkly handsome Welshman was looking for a plain bride and Holly seemed to fit the bill. When he learned that he'd been tricked, it was too late. Sir Austyn was already in love — and under the dark curse of Gavenmore...

Holly is tired of men courting her only because she is so beautiful. She was raised and brought up to be a lady. Which she regrets because she never got to enjoy doing fun things. Like playing in the sun (Might ruin her skin) etc.

So when her father hosts a tournament to win her, she disguises herself as an ugly hag. However, Austyn, wants a an ugly hag for wife. His family was cursed by a beatutiful fairy (or so legend has it) that beauty would be the ruin of the Gavenmore me. So he hopes to break the curse.

He wins Holly and off they go. Except the night before the tournement, he spotted Holly in the garden. When he wins her, doesn't know that under disguise is the woman he spotted.

Holly starts to feel bad cause she only made herself look ugly to repel the men. So slowly she gathers courage to confront him. But Austyn catches her by the brook without her disguise. Mad at her, he throws her in a tower.

At first she's hurt and just sits in the tower. But then she gets over it and demands stuff to be brought to the tower so she's more comfortable. Then she sings. All day. Which haunts Austyn.

This book was pretty ok. Not one of my favorite books by Teresa Merdeiros, but good all the same.

Grade: B-