Heathens

by Thea Lawrence

Five years after a mysterious disease has caused vampires to rise to the top of the food chain in Santa Cruz, two warring covens are fighting for territory and blood. Dominic Duncan has been looking for an opportunity to destroy his rival's operation for months, and he may just have found it as he comes across one of Rene Deschamps' biggest secrets.

In a hunt for vengeance, Rene discovers Dominic's own weakness lies within Nox, a human-owned nightclub that acts as one of the only neutral grounds in the city. While the wealthiest vampires flock to take part in the revelry, Dominic has found himself captivated only by Sofie, the club's owner, and his obsession means he'll do anything to keep her all for himself. Even if it costs him everything.

Book 1 of the Blood & Bullets Duet.

TROPES:
Mafia
Vampires
Insta-Lust
Touch her and you die

For the full list of content warnings, please visit thealawrenceauthor[dot]com.

Genres: Dark Romance, Vampires, Paranormal, Romance, Paranormal Romance

285 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 1, 2023

About the author

Thea Lawrence is a neurodivergent PhD dropout turned romance author. After spending almost a decade in academia studying criminology (with a focus on carceral studies and prison theatre), she decided to shift gears for her mental health.

A lifelong storyteller, Thea has been an actor, burlesque dancer, screenwriter, and even dabbled in painting. Now, she focuses on romance stories with heart, grit, a dash of the forbidden, and a hell of a lot of spice.

Her hobbies include: Reading, binge watching Criminal Minds, reading comic books, coloring, and taking long walks around neighborhood.

She currently lives in Ontario with her partner.

INSTAGRAM: @thealawrenceauthor

TIKTOK: @thealawrenceauthor

WEBSITE: thealawrenceauthor.com

Reviews

[Cassidy Hudspeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5


DOMINIC DUNCAN. I am feral for this man. Him crawling to her is something that will be imprinted in my brain for the rest of my existence. 😮‍💨😩 I was telling Sofie not to fall for his shit and here I am—folding when she was.

I loved this book. 10/10. It has the plot, the spice, and some twists. 👀 You do not want to miss out on this!!

[Bia]

RTC

5/5🌶️

Tropes:
He Falls First
Grumpy/Grumpy
Vampire Mafia
Strangers to Lovers
Insta Lust
Touch Her And Die
STRONG FMC

Warnings:
Dismemberment
Guns/gun violence
Blood drinking and blood play
Discussions of grief and child loss
Mentions of sexual assault
Torture and mentions of torture
Discussion of wealth gaps and power dynamics
Death and discussions of death
The aftermath of a pandemic
Drugging
Kidnapping
Vomit/vomiting
Misogyny
Dubious consent

Kinks:
Primal kink/Chase Kink
Praise kink
Degradation and humiliation kink
Hair pulling
Gun kink
Knife play
Choking
Slapping

Review coming soon <3

[nettysbooknook · Rating 5 out of 5]

“ 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘺 𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴, 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘷𝘦? “

It’s been five years since the spread of a disease that left humanity in grief of their lost loved ones, but also the rise of a new world ahead. Vampires have now come down to live and walk on the same streets as humans. Dominic Duncan is one of them with a mission to destroy his biggest rival’s plans to expand his territory.

Sofie Fournier is the owner of the nightclub Nox along with her best friend Ruby. Vampires comes to the bar to satisfy their hunger and every day is dangerous, from collecting blood from the bank to keep the vampires from not tearing them apart. It doesn’t take long until Dominic gets his eyes locked onto her. Obsessed and hungry for her captivating beauty, they’re soon both tangled into the beautiful and dangerous mess ahead.

Once again I’ve been smacked to the floor by Thea’s writing. Not only does she knows how to write to make you fall in love with the characters at first sight, the whole story itself and plot twists makes you never want to get back to reality. So well written I’m just here asking for more already.

Sophie’s so strong, brave and doesn’t hesitate to get what she wants. Her character development is amazing and only that makes me so excited for book two! I also love Sophie’s and Ruby’s friendship. They’re total badasses and also funny as heck. I would totally feel safe with them. Without spoiling anything…but there were some scenes where I got really emotional involving them, please!!!

And there comes Dominic…just keep painting red over red over red until the paper tears apart *sighs with heart eyes*. He’s so handsome, dark and dangerous with the filthiest mouth that makes you get Bambi on ice legs. Please for the love of god the spicy scenes with them?! Again, DANGEROUS, hot and just beyond this world 🔥

‼️Release date: 1st August, available now for pre-order on Amazon. ‼️

[Frannie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really good omgg, amazingly fast-paced :))

Reread: just as amazing as my first read :)

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

This was okay. Its a world post-mysterious virus that wipes out many humans. Vampire control is on the rise, and humans are struggling to keep the power balanced.
Dom is the leader of the opposing vampire mob, fighting against the one that controls the city. Sofie is a human, who lost everything during the virus. She owns a blood bar that provides vampire / human safe space to interact. Dom sees her one night and wants her.

It was fast paced, and it didn't take me long to read. The insta-love was INSTANT for Dom. It wasn't even that he saw Sophie and was interested to get to know her. He saw her for a brief second and said MINE. Which is fine, I knew that trope was in here, but his actions in a few scenes didn't really go hand in hand with it. Like how Dom left Sofie to handle Rene on her own. She could have died, so that didn't make sense in the whole "she's mine" ordeal.

I didn't understand the blood weapon, it didn't make sense to me. I also didn't catch onto how Sophie as a past hematologist could help with said weapon. Thats on me I guess 😅

The spice was fun, the action provided good pacing. It was over the top but it was entertaining and did what it had to do. 💀

[Vale · Rating 4 out of 5]

-ARC REVIEW-

4⭐️3🌶

First of all, thank you so so much to Thea for allowing me to read it as an ARC. This is my first ever ARC so this is special<3

I haven’t read a book that involved vampires in years, but omg Dominic has won me.

The instant attraction and being addicted to each other was what I loved for. The spicy scenes omg Thea knew we would be eating them up. Any time Sofie and Dominic were in the same room it had me blushing and kicking my feet😭. I need the confidence and power Sofie has, specially when she talks back to him!! As soon as I started reading I couldn’t stop, I had to force myself to stop LOL.

In conclusion I need more Dominic and Sofie!!

Can’t wait to read future books from Thea!

-v💋

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to begin by thanking the author for providing a copy of the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review of the book.

My rating is closer to a 4.25

Vampires are a favorite kind of monster of mine and this book excellently brings up some of my favorite aspects of the lore while still bringing a unique twist to it all.

Let me start off by saying that I love the fact that this place in Santa Cruz 1987. I got slightly giddy at the location due to the fact that I am from the Bay Area and so I was able to visualize the entire book quite vividly. That is such an interesting time period and place to start the story , so I think the author is going to do some exciting things in the books to come. The book takes place 5 years after the beginning of a mysterious pandemic that wiped out a good number of humans and now the vampires stepped out from the shadows and took power.

Sofie's backstory is absolutely heartbreaking. She lost her son and husband to the disease and is now living a hollow life with only her best friend as her pillar. Sofie is a co-owner of a bar that offers human services and blood to wealthy vampires. She is literally such an intelligent and resilient character that despite the crushing pain, tries to make the best of her reality. Sofie is a hustler for opening this successful bar when the rest of the world was turning to hell and I have immense respect for her.

Dominic is a vampire boss in the territory and is literally UNHINGED. He is at war with another vampire by the name of Rene and in order to try to take him down, Dominic has committed some atrocities. Like collecting severed body parts as trophies kind of crazy. But you know what... I really adored him. The MMC is power hungry and impulsive, but that being said , Dominic was surprisingly hilarious as well as soft in his demeanor at times. He is the walking red flag that we all love and appreciate.

Dominic became rapidly infatuated with Sofie and so their relationship was very much insta-lust
This book was SPICY. This one was also most definitely for the praise girlies. There were so many "good girls" and let me tell you... I folded every time. I had such a fantastic time with Dominic and Sofie's dynamic.

In conclusion, this was an amazing ,spicy and suspenseful read. I recommend this to my dark romance girlies that like their trigger warnings list on the longer side. There was no major cliffhanger at the end of this , but nonetheless, I am super excited to see what is in store for our characters in the next book.

[Graesyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
ARC Review

Dark, violent, sexy perfection. I highly recommend it.

The characters, the story, the dialog, everything about this book was exactly what I had hoped for. I love all things vampire (except the ones that sparkle...not sorry), and this book was one of the best vampire stories I've read in a long time. If you're a fan of Lost Boys, Blade, Fright Night, Daybreakers, or anything with some good ole vampire blood lust, you'll like this book.

Sophie was amazing, strong, and I loved how she developed through the book. Dominic...oh boy...Yep, I would absolutely let him tear my throat out. Everything about him was so well done, I wish I could say more about his character development, but those would be spoilers.

The spicy scenes are EXTRA spicy and so much fun. That ending had my heart racing, and I am already looking forward to book 2.

I lost so much sleep because I NEEDED to keep reading this book. This was my first time with an ARC, and I'm already counting down the days until I get my hands on the final version. It could be 100% unchanged, and I would still absolutely devour this again.

[alex (existential crisis™️) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️

i’ve had the pleasure of not only beta reading but receiving an arc of this book and thank you thea for giving me this opportunity🤍🥹

I don’t think I’ve read a book about vampires since last year and I may have to get back on that grind soon. This was my first book by Thea and I’m excited to disappear down the rabbit hole that is her mind.

Let me start my saying Dominic is a walking red flag but red is my fav colour so what it do babyyyyyyy.

I loved the dynamic between Dominic and the boys and Ruby and Sofia. It was great seeing two badass female characters holding their own against vampires who could quite literally tear them limb from limb. I liked the banter a lot. I actually laughed out loud and didn’t just let out air through my teeth.

The plot was amazing, the environments were limited so whenever there was a scene change i wasn’t being yanked from the story and could stay immersed.

This was definitely an easy and fun read. Id recommend just make sure to read TRIGGER WARNINGS PLS🤍

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 ✨

I found out about this book completely at random but the blurb got me so curious and omfg what a crazy ride this was.

Dominic was THE man and the way he was crawling after Sofie while planning a revenge 🥵 and Sofie was such a bad ass! I really loved her and how could she honestly not fold to Dominic?!
These two were such a roller coaster of emotions since the beginning and don't get me started on how so freaking hot they were 🥵🥵 Dominic and Sofie are so perfect for each other and they are such a force together 👀

If you ask me honestly, I can't say this was crazy good or that the plot was crazy original BUT it got me so entertained that I couldn't put the book down so I'm really curious to read the rest of Dominic and Sofie's story.

▬ 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬: fantasy/paranormal, insta lust/love, obsessed boy, captor x captive
▬ 𝐭𝐰: violence, death, abuse

[Olivia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like it more, but I just didn't vibe with it. I feel like the whole vampire apocalypse setting wasn't really fleshed out enough in terms of the world building, and the back stories weren't really explained so it felt pretty unimportant to the story. Duncan was a bit annoying because he was supposed to be this powerful figure but except for the violence I'm confused how this man became a 'leader' when he all he has is like 5 henchman and an empty apartment building.
The spice was MWAH good, definitely seeing him crawling on his knees to her was a highlight and the vampire bloodplay aspect was hot af.

Tw below:
- knife play
- blood play
- kidnapping
- mentioned dub con
- gun play

[Lucile *:･ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love, love, LOVE this book!!!! I can't wait to read the rest of Sophie and Dominic's story!!!!! But I wasn't expecting this end at all!!!

[Jess Greer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I understand that dark romance is not for everyone, and definitely check the content warnings, but man. I am so so happy I got to be an ARC reader for Heathens!

Set in a post-apocalyptic world where a virus has taken out a good chunk of humanity and vampires reign supreme, Sofie Fournier has managed to craft a new life for herself. She co-owns the wildly successful vampire bar, Nox, with her best friend, Ruby.

Dominic Duncan is one of the most notorious vampires in Santa Cruz, second only to Rene Deschamps, his creator and biggest rival. When Dominic stumbles across Rene's plan to seize all the power over humanity, he enlists Sofie to help him.

Thea Lawrence knows how to make you fall for characters. I've seen the kids going wild over Dominic, and I get it, but I'm so interested in Sofie. Lawrence writes her women to be people, and I love that. Sofie isn't one-dimensional. She's focused on surviving and keeping her friends and business alive, all while trying to live with her grief. I loved her and was rooting for her the whole time.

I also thought the world building was so well done. I never felt like I was wanting for information but it didn't feel forced either.

And the spicy scenes? Also well done! Lawrence knows what she's doing; and if this book sounds like something you're interested in, you're not going to be disappointed!

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heathens by Thea Lawrence is an addictive story of vengeance, savagery, and carnal desires.

This dark mafia romance with a Vampire twist will have you hooked from the very beginning and begging for more.

Thank you Thea for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Please be advised of the trigger warnings mentioned in the beginning of the book. This book is not for the faint-hearted.

[Beth (bethsbookshelfx) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obsessed obsessed obsessed obsessed.

This book was everything and more. Hooked from the very beginning and nearly crying when it was over. The perfect balance of character development, plot, twists and spice.

Thea always writes FMC’s that you automatically love & MMC’s that bring you to your knees

I love how each chapter has where the scene starts. That was a great way to keep me in the story and not question anything!

Not spoiling anything here but I just want to say.. THE GUN ☠️

This book is full of love, loss, betrayal and hand necklaces. All I can ever ask for in a book.

Another amazing book from Thea. Please keep them coming because I’m gonna keep spending all my money on them HAPPILY.

ALSO THE LITTLE SURPRISE AT THE END? IM A VERY HAPPY CAMPER TODAY

[Anna Kobeleva · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 — this book is amazing

i'm glad i received an arc because i loved every second of this story.

the plot, the characters, and pretty much everything single thing is perfect and right where it should be.

that plot twist at the end is everything and almost cried when i read it. didn't expect that at all.

vampires, virus, amazing characters, action, and that plot twist!!!!!! this is perfect!!!

thank you for sending me this arc and read trigger warnings.

[gia ⋆˙⟡♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75 ★

i loved this book. it was everything i wanted for a vampire mafia dark romance. i could barely put it down and i finished it in one day. i’m probably going to reread it in october just for the vibes.

the world within this book is so interesting. the history of vampires, the relationship between vampires and humans, the pandemic, it was all just so unique. i felt like i was transported into this very scary world and i loved it.

sofie was such a strong and badass woman. she knew what she had to do to survive and she wouldn’t let anything stand in the way of it. she had been through so much and it was really interesting to see how she was trying to heal. she also would do anything for the people she cares about and is just so so cool.

dominic was just absolutely insane. this man is unhinged but in the best way. he was obsessed with sofie and it’s obvious he would burn the world down for her. and also for himself cause he’s crazy.

the chemistry. the tension. the spice. the relationship between sofie and dominic was so complex. they clearly care about each other but they both had things holding them back from truly being vulnerable with each other, so i’m really looking forward to seeing more in the next book!

the plot was so intriguing. i was freaking out for the last couple of chapters because so much happened and it was scary but also good. i’m so excited to read the next one and to see what happens next.

honestly this book was just so good. if you’re looking for a vampire mafia dark romance (which you totally should be because it’s awesome) then i highly recommend this book.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first ARC read, and first time I’ve read this author. I really liked the plot, the world was overtaken by a virus and the only way to survive: vampire blood. The vampires need the humans to survive because they need human blood. A symbiotic relationship! But it’s not peaceful, at all.
I liked the FMC, she was kind of spicy, smart, brave, and bold. MMC is bossy, gets what he wants, and a huge, handsome vampire.
The book has a few spicy scenes that were … untraditional and dangerous.
I didn’t love the insta-attraction, and for me, the book lacked any tension.
I did like how the book ended, overall. I did enjoy it!

[Niamh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot damn🥵 Dominic Duncan you are etched into every crevice of my brain and you’re not leaving any time soon. The way this man makes me absolutely feral is not normal Jesus I urge everybody to please pick this up

I read this book in one sitting and could not put it down. If you like vampires, apocalyptic worlds, swoon worthy mmc who falls first and a very strong fmc this book is for you!

First of all, the setting of this book is amazing. Based in Santa Cruz, a pandemic nearly wiped out the human race and vampires came out of the shadows and took over. There’s a (semi)mutually benefit understanding, vampire blood inoculations keep humans healthy and in return the remaining humans go to blood banks to donate.

Sofie is such a boss female main character, her backstory is heartbreaking but she’s persevered through the apocalypse and runs the biggest vampire nightclub in the area. Enter Dom, the second most powerful vampire boss in the city and once he sets his eyes on her, he’s not giving up.

This is a hot and heavy book but with an amazing plot line which I couldn’t get enough of. There’s a little bit of a mystery weaved into it but I’ll let you figure that out for yourself🫣 I can not recommend this book enough - Dom has destroyed all future book boyfriends for me.

This is a dark romance, there are scenes in it that demand trigger warnings and these can be found at the start of the book! If you like anything like Haunting Adeline, PenPal and Den of Vipers you will devour this up just like I did.

Thank you so much to Thea Lawrence for gifting me an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review - this has not affected my thoughts on the book at all and all opinions are my own🫶🏻

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

🩸𝔸ℝℂ 𝔹𝕆𝕆𝕂 ℝ𝔼𝕍𝕀𝔼𝕎💀

Book ● Heathens
Author ● @thealawrenceauthor
●Strangers to lovers
● Mafia
● Vampires
●Insta lust

⚠️⚠️SPOILER WARNING⚠️⚠️
There is some trigger warnings for this book! Check out Thea Lawrence’s website to check!

This was my first ARC read and I want to thank Thea Lawrence so much for giving me the opportunity to read Heathens! 🥹

When reading books I write down stuff I love about the book I’m reading and I will write down quotes or highlight them on my kindle if I’m reading them on there and I found myself highlighting so many quotes on my kindle. I honestly highlighted about 9 quotes that just were amazing! 🫶🏼

“And you’re going to be a good girl and sing for me, aren’t you?” 🎶

“Not a deal, a promise. Undying loyalty to you, and only you.” 🙏🏼

The storyline is so good and interesting! I found myself really enjoying it! I loved the virus aspect of it!

Dominic’s dirty talk was just perfect! The praise he would give Sofie was just beautiful and the degradation talk! 🌶 Wow……

The knife and gun scene! 🔪🔫 Holy shit! 🥵
Him feeding on her neck and thigh in the feeding room! 🫣

Sofie is an absolute queen! 👑 She takes zero shits from anyone! She stands up to the evil bastard Rene even though he could snap her like a twig! 💪🏼
I also loved Ruby! She cared for Sofie so much and was very protective of her since Sofie has suffered through a lot of stuff because of the virus pandemic 💔

[Kaleah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

goodreads, the next time you shit yourself while i’m writing a review, i’m suing. take that as a threat… I DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START NOW 😩

anywhoooo…

i usually don’t get with a mafia romance, i don’t know why, i want to because the premise is HOT, but every time i read one i end of DNFing not even a quarter into the book. for a moment during the early chapters, no matter how much i was enjoying the book, i was worried i was going to DNF—BUT I DIDN’T AND I’M SO HAPPY!!!

the vampires and blood kink deserves a pat on the back for that. thank you. 😩⛓️🩸🔪

dominic is so delulu and i love him. he lives in his own little world. and then he meets sofie and she becomes his world 💓💓 was it a little insta-lovey? sure. but i didn’t mind it this time around. i thought it worked. fitted in with his whole boy obsessed persona. man just wanted to cook his girl a steak and bury his cock in her for the rest of eternity—he wanted it so bad he couldn’t see the twist of fate. so essentially the plot thickened bc he wanted to romp around with his girl… priorities babe, but understandable. i’d also fuck sofie for eternity.

i’m not sure what’s not pushing this up into the 4 stars, i enjoyed the world, the setting, the characters, the twist—i enjoyed everything. for some reason it’s just sitting in the 3.5 range.

but i’m very interested to see what’s to come in the follow up novel. this may mark the only mafia series i don’t DNF 🏆🏆

[Aly Ambrose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh. Em. Gee. What an amazing book.
Bro, the SPICE WAS SPICYING. 🥵 The chemistry between these two was insane. I truly can’t wait to see what’s in store for these two. If you are into dystopian 80’s vampire mafia novels - this. is. the. one. to. read.
*check cw/tw*

I was given the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

🥀 Sofie Fournier
Amazing. Beautiful. Stunning.
Her strength knows no bounds. I love her voice. She honestly blew me away. In one of the chapters she says, “Sometimes, I feel like the things that make me who I am, are just puzzle pieces of the people I’ve lost. My mom’s dimples, my dad’s nose and broad shoulders.” BRO 😖💔 I was holding on to my kindle and BAWLING my eyes out. I grew a connection with her through relating to her grief. She’s brave & doesn’t let anyone give her shit. And I was HERE FOR IT.

🥀 Dominic Duncan
I mean, what a man - KING. I quickly grew an appreciation for the way he always does things at 100%. Is he a little rash - maybe? A little flawed? Yeah, but who isn’t? (Me desperately defending a murderous vampire). The way he loves Sofie made me swoon SO HARD. The mouth on this man had me blushing. And “little dove” has to be one of my favorite nicknames - ever.

Tropes:
🥀 Touch her & you die
🥀 strangers to lovers
🥀 open door romance
🥀 grumpy x grumpy
🥀 mafia
🥀 vampires
🥀 insta lust
🥀 he falls first
🥀 morally grey MMC

[Holly Monroe · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Alright, so I got an ARC of this book and was a bit wary with all of the trigger warnings. All in all I really didn’t think it was that dark.

This is a mafia romance with a vampire twist

The good:

The world building was really cool. Hearing how a virus wiped out a ton of humans and that’s how vampires came to light? Very cool.

The spice was great!

There are some good jokes in here, and some nice surprise reveals.



The bad:

This was an ARC so it’s too be suspected but there are a TON of typos.

There are several instances where it felt like the writer forgot what her characters were doing and described a totally different motion.

I feel like there was a lot of blatant Haunting/Hunting Adeline stuff. I won’t say more to avoid spoilers.


Overall:

Story: 3/5
Spice: 4/5
World building: 4/5
Characters: 3/5
Readability: 3/5
Pace: 4/5

Tropes:

Insta lust
Touch her and die
Reluctant lovers
Sassy best friend


Mafia romance doesn’t tend to be my thing, but this was a quick, easy read for me. If you’re into vampires and crime bosses you’ll love it!

[DemetraP · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was just ok. The vampire hero was very impulsive and never had a plan. He always did things spur of the moment and then tried to pick up the pieces later.

The steamy scenes were the best part of the book. Lots of vampire biting and feeding from her and calling her his good girl.

I did not like the ending of the book either.

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILERS
P
O
I
L
E
R
S
.................
The bad vampire, Rene, came up with a formula to turn the vampire blood shots that protect humans from the plague into a drug. If the humans take it, they'll be easy food for the vampires.

Hero originally wanted her to make the formula because he didn't know what it did.

He kidnaps her after she says she needs time to think about it.

Heroine and her friend end up turned into vampires to save their lives. The hero's friends betrayed him and were working for Rene.

They have a plan to give humans more of a say in how the city is run. The hero says he doesn't know what to do next at the end but he wants heroine to be his Queen and help him run things.

[Shannai · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒔 - 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒂 𝑳𝒂𝒘𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 🧛‍♂️ 🩸

4/5 Stars ⭐

“𝘐’𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵, 𝘪𝘧 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥.”

This is my first PNR book and I had a lot of run reading Dominic and Sofie's story. It was dark and quite spicy, which I went in expecting for story about vampires.

I really liked Dominic, he wasn't what I expected, okay he's a vampire that's lived for centuries and has seen more than most in a lifetime, but he was quite different too; in his own obsessed and slightly unhinged ways, he was compassionate and he wasn't always depicted as a cold hearted person, despite, being undead and a killer.

I didn't realise that this was going to be a series, but given how it ended, it makes sense. I'm intrigued as to what's next for them especially with the decision that Sofie had made; it'll be interesting to see how she adjusts, and I’m looking forward the aftermath of everything that had gone down in the last few chapters, too.

tropes

- boy obsessed
- he falls first
- grumpy x grumpy
- strangers to lovers

[Becs BarelyContainedChaos · Rating 5 out of 5]

(ARC Review)
You had me at Vampire-Mafia Romance…
Dominic Duncan is a brilliantly-crafted male lead in a refreshingly different addition to the dark romance genre. He isn’t flawless, which is what makes him so delectable, and the mouth on him…? Phew.
Then there’s Sofie, who leapt off the page and straight into my heart. Her inner monologues are sassy, vulnerable, and downright hilarious and she fights back against Dominic like a hellcat. I love her so much.
This is a dark-romance and the author doesn’t disappoint, with spice that’ll make your heart pound and your knees weak.
If I had anything at all to suggest it’s that I wanted more of Rene Deschamps. His insidiousness is palpable and his interactions with the other characters sent shivers down my spine. It’s a rare author who can write a villain you want more of!
I know that this is one of those books I’ll read again, and again. You should too…

[Willow · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5

Not a bad read but not a good one either. It was okay.

I noticed some repetition from time to time which could be a bit annoying at times.

I was expecting something else when I saw the descriptions and tropes. So I was a little disappointed.

As for the characters, Dominic doesn't come across as a leader. He acts without thinking, and is too impulsive. Sofie and Dominic's relationship was... weird. I don't know how to explain. Perhaps we'll see how their relationship develops in the next book, but I have to admit that I finished this one diagonally. I still want to give this book a chance because the characters are still interesting.

As for Theo's character and his betrayal, I found it predictable and would have liked to know more about him.

As for the plot, I liked it, unfortunately I found it too fast and drowned in a LOT of smut. The smut was however, really good.

All in all 2.5/5. The story has potential, but everything happens too fast and certain elements could have been developed further.

I will continue to follow this author, having enjoyed her first book BabyDoll.

[Suzy Engelhaupt · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️

Maybe this author isnt for me 😭
I really wanted to love this. The things that drew me to the story fell flat for me.
I was excited that it took place in Santa Cruz but disappointed when the boardwalk was brought up every single time the city was mentioned. Why use a specific place if you're not going to mention anything else. It felt like zero research was done.
The main character and I share the same birthday so that was cool....

The vampires were lame. The MMC was the worst vampire I've ever read 😭

The plot was horrible. The ending was rushed and made zero sense. I was promised a vampire mafia romance and this was not it.

Anyway, I guess I'll keep pushing through Empire of the Damned.
I just wanted to take a break with an epic love story with fangs and blood 😭

[itsmekaylalee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has everything I look for when it comes to a Dark Paranormal Romance! Dual pov, fast paced plot, ass hole MMC, touch her and die vibes, and such good spicy scenes!

This has vampire and humans, blood drinking, killing, fighting, and a bunch of content warnings that are exactly what I want in any dark romance and this author did them perfectly!

The “Little Dove” nickname gives me diesel from DOV vibes and I LOVE it!!

Rated 5🌟’s and this is now one of my new favorites and definitely my favorite from this author so far!

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Review:

CHECK TRIGGER/CONTENT WARNINGS BEFORE READING THIS BOOK

Wow, just wow!
What can I say about this book?

I was obsessed from the first chapter! I didn’t want to stop reading!

I thought that the sensitive topics were handled incredibly well.

The smut is just chef’s kiss. The gun 👀🫠
No faults whatsoever!

And the nickname Dominic gives Sofie gets me every time. I love it! 😍

This book is full of a whole lot of love, grief, smut, betrayal and morally grey men.

I will be getting a physical copy as soon as the book is out!
Thea is an auto-buy author for me!