Tantalize - Cynthia Leitich Smith

Quincie Morris has never felt more alone. Her parents are dead, and her hybrid-werewolf first love is threatening to embark on a rite of passage that will separate them forever. Then, as she and her uncle are about to unveil their hot vampire-themed restaurant, a brutal murder leaves them scrambling for a chef. Can Quincie transform their new hire into a culinary Dark Lord before opening night? Can he wow the crowd in his fake fangs, cheap cape, and red contact lenses — or is there more to this earnest face than meets the eye?

From the beginning, this novel had me. The writing was really good and smooth, and I loved Quincie's tomboyish attitude. She was very likeable and relateable. The relationship between herself and Keiran was frusterating and angsty, but I'm sure that's what the author was going for.

The characters were well developed and nicely written, and the plot was decent. The only 'beef' I have with this book is the ending. I didn't understand some of the things that Quincie did or didn't say, and the end definitely threw me for a loop and I'm still not sure if it was in a good or bad way!

****