The dialogue is also very funny and I found myself laughing out loud a couple of times. I found the writing in Velvet to be much better and the characters more nuanced. And while there are definitely some similarities between the two, they are not the same. Of course, this being a teen vampire romance, there will be inevitable comparisons to that other popular teen vampire book. I loved it when she said that she would beat up Adrian for her and really meant it. She’s not catty or competitive and she seems to truly care about Caitlin.

I especially liked Trish, Caitlin’s closest friend in Stony Creek. The cast of secondary characters were also good and vital to the story. I would have liked to have learned more about some of them but I think we will get to know them better in the next book. He loves to read and even makes a Harry Potter reference at one point. Who wouldn’t fall in love with a guy who also loves Harry Potter? Yes, he’s hot and rides a motorcycle but he’s also funny and smart and a bit of a nerd. And Adrian isn’t your typical YA heartthrob. She’s also going through a difficult time, having just lost both of her parents, and her behavior and feelings reflect that loss.

I liked that Caitlin was so passionate about fashion design and had interests other than Adrian. Their relationship was very believable and I grew to love both of them as characters. While there’s definitely some attraction going on initially, they don’t fall in love or lust right away. I enjoyed that their relationship and feelings for each other developed over time. They have personalities and weren’t just one note characters. I really liked how fully fleshed out Caitlin and Aiden were. Velvet is smart, funny and extremely swoon worthy. The thing that caught my eye about this book were the words “hot vampire bodyguard.” I am not ashamed to admit that I am a fan of vampire books and, while they helped start the YA craze a few years ago, they have fallen out of popularity and I haven’t read a really good vampire story in a while. Thank goodness for Temple West though.

Velvet by temple west