I received a copy of this book for review from NetGalley. Valerian just wanted to play some golf, and take a break from hunting a serial killer. He never expected that his golf cart running out of gas would lead to finding his life mate and a vicious killer. What follows is a fast paced enjoyable romp of an Argeneau novel.
Look, after 30 something books in a series, do I have the slightest idea who the new main character is? Not really. Do I care? Not really. The story was interesting, the plot flowed well, the characters were good together, and it gave me what I needed.

Following up Immortal Rising—featuring Stephanie McGill and Thorne—After the Bite is yet another thrilling installment of the Argeneau series, which as a series features not only the Argenau nuclear family, but all their extended family as well as the family keeps growing. After the Bite is Valerian’s story, courtesy of Stephenie’s attempts at matchmaking between him and the human owner of his local golf course, Natalie.
Valerian’s just finally met Natalie—despite frequenting her golf course for months—when it seems that the serial killer known as the Angel Maker that he’s been tracking has followed him to his new home and to his newfound life mate. But as the obstacles keep cropping up and the target on Natalie’s back continues to grow, Valerian knows that he’ll do anything to keep her, including overcoming all her arguments and protests as well as making sure she’s safe from the threat pointed squarely at her.
As ever, a relationship with an Argeneau—or in this case one of their extended family members—doesn’t start off smoothly, but the nanos never lie about life mates or the explosive chemistry that comes with being fated for each other. But Valerian and Natalie are exactly what the other needs, and you can’t help rooting for them from the start! Looking forward to what Lynsay has in store for this wide-flung, fabulous family next, as well as the upcoming next installment in her equally fabulous Highland Brides series!

Valerian just wants some time away from it all, his last assignment was almost to much to handle. Golfing has always been a way.for him to relax ad let go. The owner of the course doesn't seem to mind that he likes to play at sunset everyday. Natalie is a single mom who attracts him like no other. He worries about what she will do when she finds out he is an immortal. He decides to take things in a more old fashion direction when it comes to dating giving him time to figure out how to explain what he is. Things don't go as planned though and he must quickly adjust to the danger that has presented itself. Follow along and see if Valerian can make Natalie his and keep her out of harms way!

AFTER THE BITE is the thirty-fifth book in Lynsay Sands’ Argeneau paranormal romance series. Lynsay Sands has me intrigued with the direction her Argeneau series is headed. For me, it’s as though she combines classic elements of paranormal romance with those of classic horror films. Hooray for me! In AFTER THE BITE, Immortal Enforcer Valerian stumbles across his potential lifemate while he’s indulging in one of his favorite activities – golfing. That the woman of his dreams just happens to own a golf course seems like fate. What Valerian really doesn’t anticipate is that his newly beloved Natalie has a shadowy stalker trying to bump her off. With so many secrets the two main characters are hiding, I’m glad this story is told from alternating perspectives.

Rather than have this hero and heroine get physically intimate too soon, the sexual tension builds as they get to know each other better and the stakes are raised by the unknown psycho hovering on the periphery. There is a tangible eerie quality to this book’s setting, and almost SHINING-esque for me. On the one hand, it’s an ordinary yet exquisitely run golf resort, but you can almost see the mist and shadows as a somewhat sinister cloud hovers over the location’s natural beauty. Perfect. Of course, children, and the unspoken threat to their safety, always makes things ten times scarier. Natalie’s little girl Mia is adorable, even though you constantly worry for her. Valerians assorted co-workers, friends, and family descend on Natalie and her resort to help protect her as well as bedevil this couple-in-the-making. Head vamp in charge Lucian Argeneau is predictably growly, but not as insufferable as he’s been in some other books. Even with the ever-present danger and the nearness of family, Natalie and Valerian do manage to find some moments together to talk and fall in love. Valerian charms his potential lifemate with his skills as a possible stepdad and his ridiculously good looks.

AFTER THE BITE is a character-driven spooky tale of suspense mixed with a charming love story. Valerian is my kind of hero – strong and protective, sweet, sexy, and everything in between. Natalie is a woman with a complicated past, but she’s also very resilient. I found several of the new supporting characters interesting and wouldn’t mind them popping up in future stories. I look forward to the next Argeneau romance.

I loved jumping back into the Argeneau series after having taken a break since I had read several back to back. While this one can easily be read as a standalone, I prefer to have read them in order since I know we'll see couples/characters from previous books. The story itself was touching, sweet, heartbreaking, and loving. There were some inconsistencies in the plot, but I guess that's ok. Told from alternating POVs, we get to experience not only the attraction to each other, but the forming connections between Valerian and Mia, and Natalie and the other immortals.

I liked Natalie's determination to provide for her daughter and her independence. The thing that got to me was she'd been burned BADLY from a previous marriage and vowed to not rush into another relationship, yet within a week of meeting Val, trusts in the nanos and falls in love. I know it's fiction, but I had hoped Val would truly have to court her to win her heart.

Valerian we've seen in previous books and I always liked him. I am glad he finally got his HEA. He's loyal, protective, and wanted to court Natalie knowing she'd been burned before from her other marriage.

I loved Mia and Sinbad. I also loved how Valerian immediately accepted both. Now I'm curious to see what'll happen in the next book since we don't really have a "villain" per se.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy of After the Bite by Lynsay Sands. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing an ARC to review.

I was about to stop reading this series since the last few books left me feeling meh. But surprisingly, I loved this book. The OTP (One True Pairing) had a sweet relationship, and I appreciated that they had to get to know each other. The fact that there was more than insta sizzle worked for me. I give After the Bite a solid 3.5/5 and would recommend it.

I usually start with a disclaimer, but 35 books into a series - if you started here you should know that there’s a ton of world and character building that has gone on before this one. I think we even got an abridged nano explanation in this one. I tend to skim them more and more each time. I’m pretty sure you *could* actually start here and it would be passable, but these books are fun and silly so start with book#1 for maximum enjoyment!

This book is Valerian’s mate finding story. He’s an avid golfer and has decided to settle down a bit and literally buy a farm. He still works as an enforcer, but you can tell he’s a little weary of life. A mix up in his golf cart rental ends up having him meet the owner of the golf course for the first time. She is, of course, his potential life mate. Makes sense, since his mate finding friend sent him a tip about this area. Things take a bit of a darker turn when we learn that it’s possible a serial killer is out to get Natalie, said life mate. She’s also got a young child, which makes the whole sexy time thing a bit lighter than other stories.

I liked the damaged and relatable(-ish, because ya know, vampires) love story in this one. There is still smut and whatnot to some degree, but it was nice to see all the familiar faces come out of the woodwork for an “all hands on deck” mission. That mission ended up being helping Valerian to convince his mate that he’s awesome, but still. I’ll keep reading these books forever -they never fail to delver.

I requested this one on a whim and had no idea it was a series, let alone this being book 35. Still, it was vampires.

I liked Natalie and Valerian. They're both good and loyal people who are looking for something in their lives. They do have an instant attraction and I liked that even with the life mate situation, she always had a choice. There are a lot of characters here, but it didn't feel overwhelming.

Plot wise, it was okay. I was excited that this might be romantic suspense, but the suspense quickly faded and the romance slash mate aspect took the main stage. With that, the tension was completely gone and then tried to ramp back up at the end, but instead just fizzled for me.

Overall, I do like the idea of this being such a long series and I'm curious at some of the mentions of other characters, so I might go back and read a few of them.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

A great addition to the Argeneau series! Every book gives you a glimpse into the lives of the characters from previous books. I loved Valerian and Natalie’s story. I feel like I had it almost figured out…but the why was a total surprise! You’ll be thrown for a loop, for sure! 5 stars!!

Thank you #NetGalley for the advanced copy of #AftertheBite by Lynsay Sands for an honest review.

This is the 3rd book in this series that I've read and I thought it started out strong but there was one gaping plot hole that I can't overlook. The heroine is a single mother and never once does she consider or is it even discussed about her daughter becoming an immortal. She mortal and the hero is immortal. He can change one person and she never thinks "wait, if I live forever, what about my daughter?" As a single mother myself, this was my biggest question over and over throughout the book and I wanted to see how they addressed it and nothing, nada, zilch. If that won't bother you, you may really enjoy this book. There were lots of other things that I enjoyed about this one.

Hitting a hole in one
This author continues to impress me with her ability to make each story of the Argeneaus new and refreshing. I absolutely love that we got to see some of my favorite characters in action again, and how can you not adore sweet baby Mia and her great furry champion. Not to mention her mother, who has been put through the wringer, and yet has kept her gentleness and willingness to share her affection. Valerian is alpha to the core, but he’s also a big marshmallow when it comes to this family of three, well, and his boisterous sister who I can’t wait to see find her own HEA. The author is the queen of action and suspense, and she rounded out the story with a bad guy that I never saw coming. This PNR was absolutely amazing and it made me want to go back and start from the very beginning with book one, so I can get to know this wonderful family all over again.

AFTER THE BITE An Argeneau Novel # 35 by Lynsay Sands
Lynsay Sands is still able to keep this world of Immortals interesting. I have read all her books and will continue to do so. This one is Valerian and Natalie's story. He is an enforcer, she is a single mother who owns a golf course owner. This story has plenty of witty banter, drama and chemistry. This is 4 stars.

After the Bite is another amazing read. Valerian and Natalie were a wonderful couple. This book has it all romance, laughter, suspense and danger. I also loved catching up with some of the characters from previous books.

This is the 35th book in this series and it just never gets old for me! I loved this one just as much as I loved the rest! Valerian wants to relax and his chosen way is to play golf. He is thankful he found a course that allows him to play at night like he prefers. Natalie may think it's odd that he wants to play at night, but she would never say anything because she needs the money. She not only has to think of her daughter, Mia, but she is still trying to get over her past. She is wary of men and what they could want. Valerian knows she is his lifemate, but can he woo her into disregarding the fact that he is an immortal? All while keeping her and her daughter safe?

I loved this installment! Natalie has been through something that no woman wants to even think about! Yes, she got her beautiful daughter out of it-but she lost so much because of a lie. Her daughter is absolutely awesome and I loved her so much!! Valerian is awesome and how he treats not only her but her daughter was beautiful. I loved that he never treated her any different than he would a child that was his own. They both learn how to be friends as well as being attracted to each other, which I definitely liked. I loved being able to see side characters from previous books and the way they all work together to not only help him land his lady but to keep them safe. I felt bad for how the suspense played out for a certain person, but I also liked how it wasn't just a side plot. It was actually a part of the whole plot instead an after thought. The whole thing came together perfectly and I couldn't put it down!

Lynsay Sands is a talented writer who has a way of writing the characters and stories so it feels like you are right alongside them as the action is taking place. After the Bite is no different and I loved meeting some of the immortals that Valerian worked with, but at some point there were just too many characters from previous books thrown in to the mix on this one. I also had figured out who the bad guy was very early on, but hadn't at all guessed the motivations. I enjoyed seeing that Valerian's life mate was a single mom and all of Valerian's interactions with Mia, but I wanted more time with the three of them together, without all of the others thrown into the mix. They don't kiss for the first time until more than halfway through the book, and when they finally get together it felt like things happen at warp speed. I really wanted more time with them developing as a couple, especially with a child already in the mix!

I have been reading this series for a long time. I am so glad that it is starting to feel fresh again. I loved how Val was aware of the circumstances especially the baby. I liked the not so slow burn.

I was really liking the thriller aspect of this one but then it's like Sands got confused about what kind of story she was making and it becomes a muddled bit of everything with a rushed ending that honestly left me wondering if I was missing part of the book.
I loved Valerian as he's the perfect romance lead with the ideal balance of brooding and fun. And Natalie is interesting in that she has quite a memorable backstory that explains a lot of how she acts. But everything about their relationship feels rushed and it just gets explained away with the nanos deciding that they're life mates and that's that. It left me wishing there were more pages to see the relationship develop more naturally.
And I'm sorry, but the whole passing out from how good the sex is when it doesn't even last half a page is too much for me.
I'm still rating this a bit high because it was entertaining and I did care about what happened to the characters, but I'm afraid there's not much for me to recommend it.

Happy thanks to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the early read!

Enforcer Valerian is exhausted. His last missions have been brutal. All he wants now is some down time and the chance to relax. Nothing is more relaxing to Valerian than golf. Each night he enjoys a round at twilight. The last thing he expects is to find that the alluring owner of the golf course is his life mate.

Natalie doesn't have time for a relationship. She has her hands full operating the golf course, and raising her young daughter. Valerian knows earning her trust won't be easy. He'll need to move slowly, to court her the old fashioned way. He hasn't even considered how he'll let her know he's an immortal.

As with most well laid plans, circumstances conspire to throw a wrench in the way. When Valerian discovers threats from his last mission my be focused on Natalie, he decides slow won't work. He'll need to stay one step ahead of the danger to keep Natalie safe and have a chance at his happily every after.

I've been a fan of the Argeneau Immortals since I first picked up Single White Vampire so many years ago. I love that the series never seems to get stale. After the Bite has all the sarcasm, the romance and the turmult that we've come to expect and look forward to in an Argeneau story. Those who have never read any of the prior books in the series can read this story without too much confusion, but the experience will be richer if you head back to the beginning.. You'll find yourself lost in the world of the Argeneau Immortals from the first chapter.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was steamy, action packed and held my interest. I didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

Lynsay Sands keeps her Argeneau Series going strong with book number 35 “After the Bite”. Valerian and Natalie’s story is a slow burn romance filled with appearances from beloved characters who come to lend a hand. I absolutely love scenes where the friends & family attempt to assist with “the talk”. Sands fans know what I mean (wink-wink). Valerian’s sister Aileen has quickly become one of my new favorites. While I had an inkling as to who was the culprit in this one, it is still a worthwhile read.

My thanks to Harper Collins and Net Galley for the gifted ARC copy. This is my honest review.