Wed or Dead

Vampire Bachelor Games #1

by Helen Allan

A dangerously sexy, addictive, enemies-to-lovers vampire romance.Imagine if The Bachelor and The Hunger Games had a baby….I’ve found myself, by accident, in the world’s biggest and most deadly reality TV show, Vampire Bachelor Games.

Twenty-four contestants, all beautiful, intelligent and deadly, carefully selected from every country, vying to become the wife of the most eligible bachelor in the show’s the impossibly handsome, immortal Lord Falcon Dragonspur.

Last season, he ate every one of the contestants. Every. Single. One.

Apparently, none were to his taste. Or maybe they all were… I don’t know. But this season, despite his history, he’s been brought back. And all these women will stop at nothing to claim him.

Everyone, that is, except me - just an ordinary teacher who accidentally got selected.

The rules state that once chosen, there are only two ways I can get off this show, and both involve a box. I just have to ensure it’s a Tiffany box, not a coffin.

Easier said than done, given that the last thing I want to do is marry this psychopath.



*This is a dark, enemies-to-lovers romance – this vampire is not sparkly, not by a long shot. His world is dark and dangerous – yet you’ll fall for him, just as they all do – because he’s wicked-bad and sexy-dangerous to know.

Genres: Vampires, Paranormal, Enemies To Lovers, Forced Proximity, Romance

428 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 30, 2023

About the author

Helen Allan is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of paranormal romance, science fiction, and fantasy romance novels.
Her books feature strong, humorous female protagonists, hunky slow-burn love interests, swear-bears, interesting twists, and happy ever afters.
You can learn more about her and her latest work by signing up to her newsletter at www.helenallan.com.

Reviews

[Venetian Girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: The Bachelor meets Hunger Games. 💯 the perfect description.
Vampire/Harem/Bully sub-genres.
Alternate universe where vampires have always ruled mankind. A lot of similarities to our modern world, but with this one notable difference. Vampires use the Vampire Bachelor Games (the most popular TV show on the planet) to find their eternal spouses. So every year, 24 willing contestants from different countries, kill each other for the chance to marry a famous, wealthy, vampire, gain immortality, and find love. This year, the bachelor is Lord Falcon Dragonspur. (😆The names in this book are so on the nose!) The previous year, Falcon personally killed every single contestant without choosing a wife. So now the world watches to see if there will be a repeat performance of last year’s fiasco. One psychopathic man and 24 delusional women. What could go wrong? Also, what does it say about me, that I now low-key wish all contestants in our Bachelor/Bachelorette Shows fought each other to the death for love? You’d certainly get a lot fewer fake contenders, only there for their 3 minutes of fame.

Writting and Ending: 85 chapters. Ends on a cliffhanger. I hated the ending: makes no sense; written only to guarantee a sequel. That's the worst kind of ending in existence. Written from both the POV of the Hero and the Heroine, which was a smart decision. Lots of tension and drama. Spy among us. No character is safe. Violence/murder galore. Good pacing, well-written, and well-edited.

Hotness Rating: 🌶🌶🌶 Steamy but no graphic sex scenes, so it's not gross. Slow build-up. There is a limited sex scene between H and h in Chapter 69 😉but no full sex before marriage. It is romance-heavy, not sex-heavy. The one notable exception is when Falcon does it with one of the contestants before draining (killing) her. Later, he says it's okay to sleep with someone if they’re destined to die. As disgusting as that is, it’s on character for a vampire in this universe. No triggers.

Dialogue: This is a dialogue-driven book. No lengthy descriptions or waxing poetic about lengthy internal conflict. The author uses “ …” for spoken words and ‘…’ for inner thoughts which makes it easy to read. Characters use phrases from their native languages, literally translated into English which adds humor and realism to the storytelling.

Main Hero/Heroine: The heroine is the same bland/whiny/goody-two-shoes ‘every woman’ we usually get in romance novels but Angie has spunk and funny one-liners once in a blue moon. Also, she is red-headed, short, and curvy. That’s it for her personality. 😁 Falcon is a broody, six-hundred-year-old vampire. Lots of supporting characters who are fleshed out and interesting.

Conclusion: 4 out of 5 ⭐. Funny, romantic, dramatic, and enjoyable. Well written. Up until the ending, this was a solid 5 out of 5. I didn’t understand why people weren’t giving this a perfect score until the last 2%. Hopefully, this burning pile of 💩 can be salvaged in the next book. I doubt it, but honestly, this book has given me many hours of entertainment and 2 sleepless nights.

[Larissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

fascinating but not compelling enough to keep reading the series

[Gail Koger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting premise but the "hero" is a psychopath and the vampires are truly monsters.

[Jessica Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

needs editing

This book had a great premise but could have benefited from someone double checking it, there are missing quotation marks, some typos. Not a huge amount but enough to distract from the story.

In the kindle version of this book there are random lines highlighted in yellow which was really weird as well.

The story started out a little choppy but i became invested in the middle but the ending left a bad taste- I really hate the miscommunication trope. Overall I would recommend it as I liked the premise of the series

[Hattingmad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an insane read in the crackiest way.
IMO it flopped the landing with a very stupid twist setting up the sequel that could be solved by one iota of communication between the two leads (something they've been decent at up to this point), but instead he just goes hostile and feral. May still read the second one, though.

[Tara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had high hopes…

I went into this book excited about the premise, it was definitely unique, however, i didn’t realize it would end in a cliffhanger … that immediately turned me off towards the end.

The not so great:
The editing (or lack thereof?) left a lot to be desired..sometimes the dialogue felt choppy and rushed. Noticeable grammatical errors and some weird formatting in places…nothing that removed me completely from the story but at times it was confusing…

I don’t want to be overly negative as i did start and finish the book in one night, so it definitely pulled me in..however there were a lot of plots that i wished were expanded on more. i now understand this is a trilogy so i am sure these plot points will be touched on as the story develops but some things felt thrown in or out of place. Other plot lines fizzled into nothing.

As for the actual characters, Falcon is definitely a hard sell in the beginning. I softened to him over time, the book does a good job of explaining why he is the way he is..but i really wish there was more development of his relationship with Angie..a lot of those scenes felt rushed and i couldn’t fully invest in them.

The good:
Angie was likable as the FMC - outspoken, intelligent, not naive which i always enjoy. I loved her relationships with the other girls she befriended…even if some of them ended up not being very friendly in the end… She was actually my bright spot in the book. i kept reading because i wanted to know what happened to her - not even really what happened with her and Falcon..which is saying something i think.

Overall:
⭐️⭐️ MAYBE ⭐️⭐️⭐️ if some further editing took place
🔥 I’d give romance/heat a 1. There were moments

[Flick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good and bad in equal measure

First, I will say this is one of the most well written books I’ve come across on KU in some time. Well thought out plot, interesting characters, and an attempted theme of redemption, honesty, and determination by our female lead character. She’s a strong willed competitor and good friend, which is sorely lacking in many FMC driven books.

HOWEVER…..****spoiler alert****

What is the female main character thinking?!?! Either she’s a total sucker or a victim of Stockholm Syndrome to fall for a guy WHO RIPS WOMENS HEADS OFF & kills them, all with impunity. I know the author tries to excuse these horrors away by repeating many times how society has had the ‘Bachelor Games’ for many years and that killing is part of the draw, BUT COME ON! There is no way a kind, considerate, honest girl like the FMC can fall for a guy who murders women bc he’s upset, bored, hungry or some combo of these three things, no matter how good looking he is. It’s absurd and uncomfortable to read that life doesn’t matter much to this guy, all while trying to make him a somewhat sympathetic character in the process. I get that it’s fantasy and a vampire novel to boot, but just reading about the continual death and how it’s fobbed off as nothing really began to bother me by the end.

I know the author was trying for some sort of redemptive arc for the MMC. However, it really just showed the poor character of the FMC, in that good looks and being kind when it suited HIM were enough to win her over. It really showed her character and moral weakness rather than showing her strength. Very bummed and not sure I’ll read book Two.

[Judy W · Rating 2 out of 5]

The technical aspect of this book was great. Well structured, descriptive with interesting dialogue and a fairly unique premise. If only you could like the characters. Per the title it is obvious what is going on. It's a televised bachelor game or a vampire. The twist is that the losing contestant that week gets eaten for dinner by the hero. Ugh. Falcon (another ugh) the vampire contestant is there against his will. Seems he ate ALL the contestants the previous year and is invited back again. His family is forcing the issue..blah, blah. There is a backstory there that is really only hinted at. Angelina is the "girl next door" contestant that had entered on a whim and is shocked she's there. She wants OUT but not in a coffin if you please. The Mary Sue aspect of the main character could be a little much to swallow but the author managed to pull it back enough to at least let you root for her. Every member of the camera crew was vapid and cowardly. The other girl contestants are villainous in the extreme. And it seems the other contestants are allowed to kill each other off as well so you cannot trust anyone. Even with all that going on I just didn't like the hero enough to care about his future. Maybe he will be the emphasis of the next book because this is the dreaded CLIFFHANGER. I hate that. I'll never know because my interest ended here alas.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this fantasy romance story. All the characters were fun to read about. The main two characters were Angelina and Lord Falcon Dragonspur.

Angelina has been selected to join the vampire bachelor games along with twenty- three others young women. When she meets Lord Falcon Dragonspur the next bachelor on the show she is surprised to him. He was on the show last year not as the bachelor but a friend to the former bachelor that was on. But something not good happened then and they had canceled for that year.

Lord Falcon Dragonspur family and members of the council wants him to join the vampire bachelor games as their next bachelor. But this time he must behave.

This was a fun story to read about. It had action, adventure, suspense and drama throughout. There were a few giggles and some laughs within. There maybe some trigger within that could get to some people. There was a bit of a cliffhanger at the end. There are three books within this series that follow Angelina and Falcon Dragonspur.

I saw this story and decided to try it. I only read the first in this series of three. This my honest, unbiased opinion.

[Monica · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing style is truly a nightmare. An editor would have been wonderful. In every single conversation, after something was said, it was followed by a thought in an apostrophe, italicized for some strange reason, even though there were also thoughts in the actual paragraphs.

"I could not imagine writing this way."

[Italicized] 'Seriously, I don't know how.'

After every single line of conversation. It really made the book unreadable.

In addition to the horrible writing, the plot was basically nonexistent. Why are women signing up to die? Why is the reality show without any structure? What do the points mean? How many are needed to win? Do you have to get married? Can you back out at any time? Why are the participating vampires allowed to kill for no reason?

I should not have to think about this; it should have been explained.

[T · Rating 2 out of 5]

F…. Cliffhanger

To say I’m pissed is only putting it mildly. A cliffhanger. Ugh, I hate cliffhangers. And I won’t read book 2 because I have no idea if that one will end with a happily ever after or not. Originally I was going to give this a 3 star until it ended the way it did. The story is dark and gruesome but I kept reading because idiot that I am believed a happy ending would make the read worth it. I rooted for Angie. There’s no love for Falcon at all in this story. He’s a monster through and through. I can’t believe I wasted my time. I do not recommend. I would have given a recommendation for readers who enjoy something this dark and morbid but I take that back because of the cliffhanger leaving me angry and frustrated.

[May · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read!

I am so confused. But so invested.
I will 100% read the next in the series. This was everything I wanted from the other survival/hunger games meets bachelor romances I've read recently. But with a much more enemies to lovers take that I appreciated.
But that ending, I'm so confused. Maybe it was the way it was written but I felt like he knew before he was told he should know? It was just very odd and confusing and because we see it from her POV I thought we'd know but we don't so I'm even more confused! I hope they don't drag it out in book two but rather give us a quick resolution to that plot line and then drag out their rebuilding of trust and her adjusting.
But overall, great read!

[Mary J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't play with your food is definitely not a rule in this story. My advise to those who choose to read this book is to keep in mind that most of these woman willingly signed up for this dog eat dog show knowing full well what the outcome would be for all but one of them and also knowing the temperament of the bachelor that they were after as he had slaughtered all of his prospects the previous season. Falcon, Falcon, Falcon, get ahold of your temper because your enemies have your number.
I've read some bad reviews on this book and I say to each their own but it was a real page turner for me. Some editing issues but overall I really enjoyed the book. And yes, I will be reading the next in the series soon.

[Mica Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t start at bedtime. You’ll be up all night!

This book!!!! I devoured this book in one night. As a lover of Buffy, Twilight, and the Bachelor, this story hit all the marks. I can’t wait for book 2 because I’m dying (pun intended) to see how this ends.

Things I loved:
*The royal vampire and sassy girl-next-door trope. I mean, who doesn’t love an underdog?
*The cattiness of the bachelor mixed with a Hunger Games Vibe. I would totally watch a bachelor to the death show.
*The tension!!! These two had so much heat between them.

The only thing I didn’t love is the fact that I have to wait for the next book to see how things end. I need to know right now!

[Bridgette Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved it

I honestly enjoyed this book. I liked the MMC , I liked all the supporting characters and I loved the MFC. She was funny and resourceful. The humor and banter between not only the main characters but the other characters was very entertaining. It a game show, a competition where the bachelorettes( humans) compete against each other and try to eliminate each other ( permanently) to be the last one left standing that the bachelor vampire chooses to be his wife. The book ends on a cliffhanger so beware. But I enjoyed it so I'll continue it.

[Shelly Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pleasantly Surprising

This a fantastic mystery, paranormal story. It’s very moving. The characters are awesome and well placed.
To me a good book can make you feel all the emotions and this one does.

I picked this book up for something to read since it was on Kindle Unlimited. I was not disappointed in anyway.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

CLIFFHANGER!

This book was unexpectedly entertaining - until the near end! This went sideways when I was not aware it was a cliffhanger. (I thought each book would be about a different bachelor.) Until near the end, this was well written, fun, slow burn, with intrigue and violence. I was at 90% going, Yes! And then... Now I see there are 3 books with 1 yet to come. Grrr.

[Heather Koczera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laughed and scrolled pass this book when I read a description. I assumed it would be cheesy. Yet I couldn’t get it off my mind and added it to my to-read shelf and then to my birthday wishlist. So glad I did. It was a perfect read and I look forward to cracking the next book in the series soon.

[Ashley Bundy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wild ride!

I'm not normally a vampire fan but this had me hooked from the first page! This felt like The Hunger Games meets the bachelor. I didn't know I needed that but I'm so glad I found it.

[Sydney · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yes its supposed to be be cheesy but

It just felt very i dont know not well thought out. Like this was a 1st draft maybe. I want to know or at least I think I want to know what's going to happen but also not sure if I'll ever read the next book

[Gabbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story with lots of nitpicky errors

That’s it. Just a lot of misplaced quotations, and random wrong words. But loved the story. I need to read the next one because I’m so pissed at Falcon. I need him to not be an idiot so bad!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this silly book. It had a lot going for it and although it introduced many characters I never got confused or frustrated in my following of the segmented storylines. Even with all the killings I feel like this was a PG story. Ends on a cliffhanger. First book of three.

[Koo Koo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barely level 1 spice

Fun idea but not really spicy. Was really disappointed by the last 50 pages or so. The MMC’s character development was just odd.

[caroline Conway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different to other vampire stories

Well worth reading..on to book 2 now can't wait to start it...Hope it's just as riveting as book one....onwards to next

[Ma. Ella Read-A-Lot]

3 stars

[Denise Doughten · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bachelor with a twist.

This was a must read for Vampire fans.Not a fan of the teal show I was surprised the book kept my interest. It was ruthless, romantic and twisted.

[Mackenzie Plake · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cheesy, ridiculous (but in the best way) and incredibly entertaining. Jumping straight into the next one!

[Jeanene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so addicted to these books❤️❤️❤️

[Charlie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Adequately amusing

Rather heartless with a terrible cliffhanger with a shameless expectation the reader will go out and buy the next book. The !ain character was the only thing that kept me reading.

[Jasmin E Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

For lovers of true Villain romances.

🫦Ruthless LOVE GAME - Darkly fired up ( but not gloomy),Wry - with a welcoming Hysterical edge - its a bloody riot of a read.

Dual POVs

Falcon
Vampire🧛‍♂️Falcon - VillainAF - but i liked him, holding my interest due to his Lethal top of the food chain vibe, elite package of brutal hotness perfection, a true represention of his upbringing.

📚The Author importantly "shows" proof of this, not wasting our time "tell"ing us hes very very bad guy - expect on page demise & the gore at his hands with manical gusto 🔪NO REGRETS💋. Crafted in a way not to distant the reader, but bring you into its bl🍬🍬dy embrace of a vampires true nature.

📚I actually also liked an author that has a male character that "offs"(this way ✝️ & not just this way 🍆 ) female characters - I find it so sexist and formulaic in books lately not to - Our Falcon is indescrimate he's no gentleman. Also again written well was his other voracious need for s€xual release as a requirement like breathing - besides this is a highstakes dating show where wares are sampled but it never disconnects the reader from two main characters- instead it added great layers intrigue of how that played out.

Angelina
Brings the Enemies to Lovers backchat,selftalk & her plucky uneventempered sense of self.
Her personality cuts through the love game show's bullsh!tt- importantly she doesnt change this is not a journey that she gets a backbone - Angelina already got one, no- everyone changes around her, we see what it means for the underestimated Angelina to participate in these Bachelor games - noting she is here because of a drunken whimsical moment to level her playing field be a "have" instead living as a have not!!

Im going stop my review right now - I honestly loved this read.Loved the problematic Killing instinct in this Vampire Falcon as an answer to lifes difficulties - Im actually Jealous wish I could resolve my issues the same( only sometimes).

& equally drawn in by an incessant nature of no. 10s own little beast in our Angelina.
That ending perfectly confirms how irrational and fixated on past wrongs Falcon is - proving this journey is his journey - no I dont think it will be any way a" redemption" read LOL not possible with this villain. lets see what happens next book 2 please

🪨Rock & a Hard place
🫂& your Found Family can k🗡ll you - as we unpack everyones motivations
&Villains love a laugh
🗣Prepare to be engaged with push & pull banter
📺 Tv Show premise was to me the real monster that needed to gorge on the Goodness & Evilness of individuals for ratings at a great cost.
🔡The love of english/lost in translation were fantastic little spurts of wrath.
🔡Thank Gawd theres swearing. It makes no sense when things are so brutal and theres no mouthy !!!!!
🤗 plus im a big fan the Kept & Bite Series( dont bite the billionaire is one of my favs)
📚 Diversity rep in dire situations is very welcome

this are my first read through thoughts,I grabbed a copy off KU.
Jasmin E Reads
im a vibe and feels reviewer