Nina @ Death Books and Tea

Review: In the wake of Twilight, forbidden romance boomed in popularity. And another crops up on the market? Let’s go for it. Savannah Colbert learns that her father is a vampire, making herself a dhamphir (half vampire). And then she finds that she’s becoming even more attracted to her fourth grade boyfriend, Tristan Coleman. But this time, they’re being watched. Both the Clann, a powerful group of witches, and the vampire council are making sure they don’t endanger the peace between the species. But to do that, they can’t be in love...In the interview at the back, it says that Melissa wanted a female vampire at the heart of the book. Good. she thought it would be cool if her hero was a witch. I like. The species being mortal enemies...a little overdone, but can be done well. So a good premises.It starts off well, introducing the Colberts and the Colemans quite soon, and filling in the background. There are a lot of sideplots in this that get kicked off soon, such as Savannah’s longing to dance with her school.It’s quite a relatable novel. With Savannah not getting everything to work her way all the time, being bullied and having another boyfriend before settling down with Tristan, it’s a bit more believable and adds depth to her character.I would have liked to see a bit more of the vampires and magic. It get that this is a paranormal romance orientated novel, and don’t mind that. But the vamps and witches are important to this and should get a little more significance. Oh, and I approve of the lack of lycanthropes.Tristan and Savannah work well together and make a good couple. Their powers develop along with their relationship, and the backstory between them is really nice. A note for Tristan-your grounding was funny. *casually steams up tap* My favourite character was Emily, Tristan’s sister. She’s smart, she’s funny, and a much more relaxed Hermione Granger.I liked the dual narration, because we saw a lot of scenes from two perspectives. However, some things did seem drawn out, and important events came quite slowly. The book could easily have been shorter without losing any of the plot.Overall: Strength 3 tea to a nice romance with side elements of magic, that just doesn’t leave me craving more.