Review: Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost

Title: Once Burned
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Series: Night Prince, #1
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: June 26, 2012
Pages: 346
Rating:

She's a mortal with dark powers...

After a tragic accident scarred her body and destroyed her dreams, Leila never imagined that the worst was still to come: terrifying powers that let her channel electricity and learn a person's darkest secrets through a single touch. Leila is doomed to a life of solitude...until creatures of the night kidnap her, forcing her to reach out with a telepathic distress call to the world's most infamous vampire...

He's the Prince of Night...

Vlad Tepesh inspired the greatest vampire legend of all—but whatever you do, don't call him Dracula. Vlad's ability to control fire makes him one of the most feared vampires in existence, but his enemies have found a new weapon against him—a beautiful mortal with powers to match his own. When Vlad and Leila meet, however, passion ignites between them, threatening to consume them both. It will take everything that they are to stop an enemy intent on bringing them down in flames.

"You're hot, big deal," I shot back, refusing to let his knowledge of my most intimate thoughts daunt me. "I'm attracted to a lot of hot guys. If Chris Hemsworth were here, I'd light him up like a firecracker with his fast I'd jump on him."

I feel like I have been waiting for ONCE BURNED forever. I mean this is Vlad's book, so it's a MUST that it just has to be out of this world amazing, right? We first met Vlad in the Night Huntress Series and it was instant love from there on out! Unfortunately, Vlad's book didn't hold up to my expectations too much! Don't get me wrong it was still great, but I was hoping it would be as great if not better than the first Night Huntress book, have the same vibe, but it wasn't.

“Why would I seek to break your heart?”
“Because you can be a merciless bastard at times,” I answered honestly.
A smile flitted across his lips. “True, but I want you with me.” 

I liked Lelia as the heroine! She has had a hard life and has had heartbreak time and time again. She had this accident a long time ago and now and cannot really touch anyone because anyone who comes within contact of her she can electrocute them with her touch. And if she touches an object she is able to read/see the person's past. Which I believe is called psychometry. Leila is not as bad-ass as Cat is of course, but in her attitude she is. She is very strong-willed too, which I love. There were parts where I wanted her to give in to Vlad so bad!

“I can give you honesty, monogamy, and more passion than you can stand, but not love. That emotion died in me long ago, as I suspect you already know.” 

I loved Vlad! How could I not! Vlad is very alpha to me and I Just love it! I especially loved his scenes with Lelia! They were so cute together! I couldn't get enough. Vlad is ruthless and can sometimes be cruel which Leila has a big problem with, but I think he is perfect for her! I did feel with ONCE BURNED something to Vlad was missing that caused me to not like the book that much and I think it was that sarcastic attitude Vlad has every time Bones shows up and makes you laugh, that was it! I missed that! And it felt like a big missing piece! I felt like my favorite part was when Bones showed up because we got that!

I loved the first half of the book and I think it was because we were meeting everyone and we get to watch Vlad trying to seduce Leila and I think I Just liked it when they were stuck in Vlad's castle in Romania! The second half of the book was very flat for me. I was bored. I kept putting down the book. I really think that I had such high expectations for ONCE BURNED that it fell flat for me. I still liked the book, I just didn't love as much as I felt I should've.