I’m the Vampire, That’s Why by M. Bardsley

Michele Bardsley is not a new author for me, but her Broken Heart, OK series is new. I just finished the first novel, I’m the Vampire, That’s Why and I have to say, I have a lot of mixed feelings about it.  I can’t say that it’s a bad novel, because it’s not.  It’s a great take on vampires and actually gives a new environment for a vampire.

There’s a new breed of soccer mom in town-with fangs.

Does drinking blood make me a bad mother? That’s the question single mom Jessica Matthews faces when she wakes from a savage attack sucking on the thigh of Patrick O’Halloran, a super-hot Irish vampire who’d generously offered his femoral artery to save her from death…only to make her one of the undead.

Jessica can’t rest until the beast that did this to her is caught. Meanwhile, she’s having trouble committing to Patrick (in the vampire handbook, physical intimacy costs you several hundred years of being bound together) and keeping her kids in line.

Do you see what I mean? The premise is actually a new take on what happens when someone is turned into a vampire.  Our victim, Jessica, is a single mother…what’s going to happen to her kids now?  This is the part I had the most difficult with.  While I’m not a new mother, Ian is 20 months old, the idea of something happening to me or to Jesse or to Ian has been on my brain a lot.  So Bardsley has her single mother attacked while taking out the garbage, being turned into a vampire, and then having to worry about her kids, it kind of struck a cord.  I have to say, I think this is the first time I was in tears within the first couple of pages of a book.  Granted, you could say I’m experience a few days of hormones, so that could have a lot to do with it, but it was very emotional.  However, I can’t say that is a bad thing.  For an author to be able to illicit that kind of response, there must be some good writing going on, right?  So I’m the Vampire, That’s Why started out a little rocky with me.

Once I got into the novel, and I did have to stop reading it last night and pick it up today, and got past the adjustment period, the novel worked for me.  The idea that a new vampire doesn’t have the option of leaving everything behind is kind of new and it’s an intriguing aspect to read about.  What does a single mother do? Especially when she finds out that her maker is a sexy Irish man who also happens to believe that he’s her soul mate?  The romance was actually sizzling and the obstacles for their HEA were refreshing.  The only complaint I really do have is that the action was a little flat.  Whenever there was a conflict, it was over pretty quickly and there wasn’t that much interaction between the heroes and villains.  So while there is some action involved, I’m the Vampire, That’s Why is very much romantically driven.

Overall, I enjoyed I’m the Vampire, That’s Why, but I wouldn’t say it’s one of my new favorite series.  Now this could change once Ian gets a little older and the whole “newly dead” mother angle isn’t on my mind as much, but I am going to read the rest of the series.  Now that I know what I’m getting into, I’ll be expecting it so it shouldn’t affect me as much.

Read Order:
I’m the Vampire, That’s Why – excerpt
Don’t Talk Back to Your Vampire – excerpt
Because Your Vampire Said So – excerpt
Wait Till Your Vampire Gets Home – excerpt
Over My Dead Body (May 5, 2009) – excerpt

About Jackie 3282 Articles
I am a 30-something SAHM with two adorable boys and a supportive husband who is very tolerant of my reading addiction. I love to read and easily go through about a dozen books a month – well I did before I had kids. Now, not so much. After my first son was born, I began to take my hobby of reviewing a little more serious and started Literary Escapism to help with my sanity. I love to discuss the fabulous novels I’ve read and meeting all the wonderful people in the book blogging community has been amazing.

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