Reviewed by Rosie Malezer for Readers' Favorite

Captivated by a Vampire is the second book in the Immortal Hearts of San Francisco series, written by Susan Griscom. After being bitten and drained of her blood one night while out clubbing, Chelle Masterson adjusts to the change and allows her blood lust to ease. Her first night out alone finds her in a bar, eyeing potential feeds, with the first leaving Chelle battered and bruised. Chelle later runs into Josh Barrett, who’d been at the bar earlier with the man who had beaten her, leaving her a bloody mess on her birthday. Worried that the bruised woman standing in the pouring rain is homeless, Josh buys Chelle dinner and later asks her out on a date. The sparks between Josh and Chelle ignite into an inferno and, although she thirsts for his blood, she forces self-restraint as she falls deeply in love with this human who treats her so well. On seeing another vampire who looks familiar to Chelle, her mind immediately goes to her parents’ murder so many years ago. Chelle had been witness to their murder, but the trauma had blocked out all memory of it. When she discovers that Josh is an investigative reporter, Chelle urges him to look into her parents’ murder in the hopes that their killer can be found, but worries that Josh might discover her true identity. When he does, the shocking fallout goes far beyond what she could have ever imagined.

To be honest, when I first selected this title, I expected something Buffy-esque. While I am a Buffy fan, I was delighted at how different this book was and couldn't get enough of Susan Griscom’s tale of an innocent woman with a normal college life, transformed into a vampire of a different kind. The action starts immediately, unlike some novels which take too long to set the scene. With both of the main characters having such tragic backgrounds, which leads them to each other, the electricity between the two was so electric that I found my face aching after having smiled so many times at the joyful moments they spent together. Captivated by a Vampire is not a story of blood and gore, nor one of horror, but rather filled with a full spectrum of emotions that give the story real depth, leaving the reader craving more. I very much enjoyed the second book in the Immortal Hearts of San Francisco series and plan to grab the first book so I can read both in sequence, prior to the third book’s release. I recommend this book to all fans of the paranormal who enjoy a little bit of extra spice in their romance reading.