"Tantalize" was a Tease

"Tantalize"
by Cynthia Leitich Smith

2.5

Quincie Morris lives in Austen Texas with her Uncle Davidson running her families' restaurant. It used to belong to her parents before they died when she was 13-years-old. As a way to bring in more business, Quincie and her uncle decide to re-vamp the restaurant using a vampire theme. Everything is on schedule until Vaggio, the head chef and their close friend, is mauled to death in the kitchen. To make matters worse, Quincie's best friend and crush, Kieren, is the prime suspect in the murder mainly because he is a "hybrid-werewolf" which is consistent with the brutality of the murder.

Quincie's life is turned upside down not only because of Vaggio’s death, but Kieren is acting distant and Uncle Davidson is always with his new girlfriend. Quincie is starting to feel completely alone until Brad is hired as a new chef. Quincie starts to spend more time with Brad and less with Kieren. She begins to question Kieren’s innocents and is more enticed by Brad with every hour she spend with him.

This was a really hard book to review because overall I did really enjoy the book. It was a quick read and I thought it had a really interesting plot; however, the end of the book was terrible. It was very abrupt and too easy. There was a huge build up towards the end of the book and it just did not deliver. I am left asking myself “what was the point reading the book if it ends this way?”

The reason that the book got a 2.5 is because the first half of the book was really good. I actually stopped listening to the audio of “Eragon” that I usually listen to at the gym in order to read more of “Tantalize”. It would have easily gotten a 3.5 if the end hadn’t been so wretched. I wouldn’t stop someone from reading this book, but I wouldn’t recommend it either. It is definitely a book that you would be best borrowing from the library rather than buying it. Think of it this way… if you borrow it from the library and the end doesn’t ruin the book for you then you read a book you enjoyed; however, if the end does ruin the book for you then at least you didn’t buy it. I’m very happy that I opted to buy “Wake” instead of “Tantalize”… GREAT decision!