Review: Nice Girls Don't Live Forever by Molly Harper

Yes, it’s yet another paranormal romance vampire book. The trend that just won’t die. But I’m one of those readers who really doesn’t want it to. I like my vampire romances. As long as they’re done well. And they have great characters. And you can’t go wrong with a snarky, southern librarian turned antiquarian book selling vampire named Jane.

This is definitely one of the funniest books I’ve read so far this year. Nice Girls Don't Live Forever is the 3rd in the series, and I haven’t read the previous two. I’m of the firm opinion that each book should stand on its own merits, and this one definitely does. I wasn’t lost at all, despite some pretty extensive backstory. What did confuse me, though, was that this book, the conclusion of a trilogy, had very little hero in it. He shows up abruptly for about 3 or 4 scenes (a fight or a sex scene), then disappears just as abruptly.


Maybe the romance plays a bigger part of the previous two novels, but it fails quite spectacularly here.  It starts out with a did-we-just break-up? drama overseas. Followed by chapter after chapter of Jane moping about the break up. We see far more of just about everyone than Gabriel, our oft-absent hero. Secondary characters abound in this novel and they’re all terrific--except for Gabriel the sketchy one. He’s off stage somewhere doing something--we’re never very clear on what--and has very little presence in the story.

Even those with vampire fatigue would probably enjoy this book. As long as you’re not in it for the romance. The one liners are spectacular.
A few of my favorites:

"Excuse me," I seethed. "But you don't get to breeze back into my life, pin me to a wall with your penis, and then demand answers"

This is even funnier when you realize that this is exactly what just happened. Poof, screw each other, bark some questions, poof back out again.

Or this one, describing the non-verbal guy speak while trying to avoid disclosing some secret or other.

 "Eventually, they looked like two inebriated mimes having a dance-off."

As you can likely tell from the above, NCDLF is told in the first person. Which some people (me) love and others just can't stand. So you've been warned!

My other pet peeve with this particular novel is the ending. It seemed too pat. Too formulaic. I’d have been fine without the entire high school reunion scene.

While this book failed with the romance because the hero was too MIA for me, it was a nice little paranormal mystery/suspense caper. I loved the characters. I loved the whodunnit aspect to the vandalism and stalking issues. I loved the dialogue and the super snarky one liners from our main character, Jane. I just didn't believe in, or really care, about the romance that should have been at the heart of the story.

My Grade:
Because I DID enjoy the story, but didn't like it as a romance, I'm giving it two grades.

As a romance, it gets a C-.
 Overall, though, I'm giving it a B. Because it really was fun to read. It just wasn't romantic.