Love Sucks! Review (and Giveaway!)

Love Sucks! by Melissa Francis

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release date: July 27, 2010

Source: Publisher

Other books in the series: Bite Me!

AJ Ashe is moving on. Sure she still has not-so-sisterly feelings for Ryan, her ex-boyfriend-turned-step-brother, but there’s a new vampire in town and his name is Alexander Archer. Caught between the desire to move forward with Sexy Lexy and being drawn to her past with Ryan, AJ thinks life couldn’t get anymore complicated. Yeah, right. When her mother’s pregnancy is threatened, it looks like AJ’s long lost father is the only person who can save her. But Dad’s help comes with a price. AJ is forced join the evil side of her family, and a very creepy shape-shifting demon is there to make sure AJ cooperates. All this and she’s still got to plan the prom. Being a teenager is tough, but being a teenage vampire just flat out sucks. Pun totally intended.

Review:

Following up soon after Bite Me left off, Love Sucks was another engaging and fun read by Melissa Francis. Vampire novels are being published quite a lot lately, and I've been really looking for something new and different in the genre, and Melissa Francis brought me just that.

AJ Ashe was back and better then ever. She was ready to face down her enemies and proved she was just as brave and determined as in the prequel. I love how AJ doesn't take being a vampire for granted and is still a normal and down to earth teenager. In this novel, her relationship with her ex-boyfriend (and now stepbrother) becomes even more complicated when a new guy enters the scene. Since the Serpentines are after AJ to come to the dark side, her thoughts are even more valuable then ever. Her "Aunt" Tave brings in her two nephews to help the Ashe/Fraser family train to protect themselves both physically and mentally. Lex and Robbie are both good looking and sweet guys, and Lex soon sweeps AJ off her feet. I really like both Ryan and Lex, but I liked seeing AJ find someone else she liked for awhile. The scenes with Lex were awesome, he was protective and really sweet at heart.

The plot was filled with a ton of twists and turns. Not only was AJ dealing with a conflicted heart, her family is in danger as well. When AJ's pregnant mother is endangered, the only person that can help is the last person AJ wants to see- her father. Clive Ashe is a menacing and uncaring character, but as the novel progresses the reader, and AJ, can see there is more to him than meets the eye. And there are even worse people in the Ashe family yet to come.

Having to find the runes (that can apparently help the owner to travel back in time, and the Serpentines want them) draws AJ closer to Lex, but also farther away from Ryan. There are endless conflicts and soon AJ is fighting to save her life, as well as her mothers.

Love Sucks was a terrific follow up to the enjoyable Bite Me and I'm looking forward to reading more by Melissa Francis in the future. Overall this was a fast paced, fun, and exciting novel that will appeal to all kinds of readers. AJ is a likable main character and readers will find themselves on the edge of their seats as the end draws closer. A really great sequel, but, again, I recommend picking up the first book, Bite Me, before starting this one.

Overall: 4.25 out of 5 stars

--

Giveaway!

One lucky commenter will win a signed copy of Love Sucks! by Melissa Francis. Only comments related to the review will be counted.

Giveaway Now Closed