Married to the Vampire King

Blood Bonded Mates #2

by Jay Castle

ETHAN
The bad news is that the vampires and witches of this city are all going to kill each other. Meaning that everyone I care about is pretty much doomed. The good news is, I have a plan to stop it. Step one: Marry Nathaniel Bailey, the leader of the city’s vampires. Step two: Make myself into the most enticing bait possible so that the murderous vampire who is actively trying to plunge the whole city into chaos comes after ME next. Step three: Place my life in the hands of my newly minted husband, who probably doesn’t care whether I live or die. What could possibly go wrong?

NATHANIEL
From the very first moment I lay eyes on Ethan Solomon, I know he’s my mate. And when he proposes to me less than five minutes after our first meeting, part of an insane plan to broker peace between the witches and the vampires, I accept his proposal without hesitation. Ethan thinks that we’ve entered into a fake marriage. He has no idea how real it is for me. He has no idea how long I have waited for him. And he has no idea that I will stop at nothing until I’ve made him mine.

Married to the Vampire King is a 92,000-word MM paranormal romance novel featuring a potty-mouth warlock with no magic who just wants to protect everyone he cares about, a cinnamon roll of a vampire king who will do anything for his mate, snarky side characters, spicy scenes, a bit of magic, a dash of found family, and a guaranteed happily ever after with no cliffhanger. This is book 2 in the Blood Bonded Mates series. It contains some violence, mentions of death/loss of loved ones, strong language, sexual scenes between men, and passages depicting consensual blood drinking, as one might expect from a male-male vampire romance. This book is intended for mature audiences.

Genres: Vampires, Paranormal, M M Romance, Romance, Fantasy, Magic, LGBT

286 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 30, 2024

About the author

I write MM paranormal romance and I’m the author of the Blood Bonded Mates series. All of my books end with an HEA and most of them also have a fair amount of hurt/comfort woven in, which is one of my favorite romance tropes (both to read and to write).

I've always been an avid reader, practically ever since I could first pick up a book. I've also been fascinated by paranormal themes for pretty much all my life. If a book had witches, vampires, ghosts, time travel, etc., I wanted to read it.

I developed my love for the romance genre in general and paranormal romance in particular when I started "borrowing" the books off my mom's shelf with supernatural elements in them. She was a voracious reader of romance, so naturally, they were all paranormal romances. I fell in love with them. And once I discovered MM paranormal romance, I felt both seen and included for the first time. I now read a wide range of genres, but paranormal romance has always had a special place in my heart. After all, who doesn't love spooky stuff & happy endings?

I’m owned by cats and I’m a proud dog dad to a border collie (pictured above) who is probably smarter than I am. I live in the Pacific Northwest with my partner of 13 years.

Reviews

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 3.5 stars ⭐️

• Marrying the powerful vampire King Nathaniel seems to be the only way to prevent a war. Ethan certainly didn’t expect for his husband to be just a Care Bear with fangs. •

Very sweet and fun paranormal romance. No crazy world-building or complex magic systems. Just vamps vamping and witches witching.

The plot, although predictable, was still entertaining and action-y. A bit on the lower scale spice wise for me, but still decently sexy and romantic. I mean, who can be mad about a cinnamon roll vampire?

“The vampire king—my husband—was a cinnamon roll. An ooey-gooey cinnamon roll. The kind that drips sugar absolutely fucking everywhere.”

Would’ve maybe liked some more relationship building, ‘cause it did feel a little insta-love and cheesy. Cute, but cheesy.
Rounding up to a four JUST for the mind bond/mind reading, ‘cause that’s an awesome trope and I need more of it.

“Are you seriously having telepathic conversations with the fucking vampire king?” Then, almost as an afterthought, she glanced at me and added, “No offense.”

I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.

CW and tropes (spoilers):
- Vampire vs warlock
- Fated mates
- Underdog hero
- Arranged/political marriage
- Mind bond telepathy
- Depictions of homelessness (not MCs)
- Mild violence
- Blood drinking
- Strict top/bottom
- Virgin MC
- Frotting

[Audi♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I wanted his hands on me. I wanted to feel his lips on me. I wanted to feel his strength as he held me. I wanted to watch him come completely fucking undone"

Omg this was so ridiculously good. I've rotted my whole Saturday away hooked on this. I was stressed the whole dang time on who was killing all them warlocks and witches. Totally unexpected! What a complete dick.
I LOVED Ethans' character development.. I was SHOCKED at his lil plot twist. Hehe Hes so badass.
Nathanial is probably the sweetest, calmest, squishyest vampire I've ever read. I don't think he would even hurt a fly...unless you fuck with Ethan 🥹 it warmed my heart his reasoning for waiting to tell Ethan they were mates.

"I wanted him to choose me of his own free will. He needed to choose me because he wanted to, and for no other reason"

SEE! Precious! such a good vammpy.
I'm definitely going back to read the first 2 short stories. Loved this whole world.
I can't wait to see what happens with Thobias and Bryan. Poor guy.

NO cheating
No OM drama
Virgin MC
Few mild spicy parts.
No mating bite 🙁

[Vanessa GLP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now we are talking, so much better than the first one ❤️

[Elena Rodríguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Ever since I saw Pierce and James together for the first time, I’ve wondered what it might be to be so close to someone else”.

Contra todo pronóstico me ha gustado mucho más de lo que pensaba. Me imaginaba que iba a ser como la primera novela, corta y con unos personajes que sufren de insta-love. Sin embargo, los personajes se toman su tiempo para conocerse y desarrollar su historia de amor.

Es una pena porque no me lo he leído en el mejor de los momentos y a veces se me hizo bola, no porque no me gustase sino porque no me apetecía leerlo. Una vez pasado ese pequeño bloqueo, lo pude disfrutar.

Recomendado sin lugar a dudas.

[❀ Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

I LOVE NATHANIEL. ♥︎
He’s such a cinnamon roll. Absolute perfection, *chef’s kiss*

I personally would’ve preferred if the focus had been a little more on the romance rather than the coven / vampire plot so that’s why my rating wasn’t higher, I felt like Nathaniel was getting more smitten by the day but Ethan never really seemed to be on the same level even after finding out they were mates, it felt more like Ethan’s story and how he went from feeling like an outcast to being super important to his coven. I guess it tracks since it’s titled after him and there’s more of his POV than Nathaniel’s.

This also felt very light-hearted and low stakes even tho there were people being murdered and the very real possibility of a lot more deaths. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Not exactly my taste but still an enjoyable enough read.

[martina (the life of a chaotic reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

needed more romance

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stakes are high, and some of the stakes are wooden!

To stop an impending war between witches and vampires, and save the city from a supernatural serial killer, magicless warlock prince Ethan proposes to the scary and mysterious Vampire King, forming an alliance to buy him time to solve the murder mystery.

Turns out Vampire King Nathaniel is in fact just a cinnamon role of a man, dedicated to helping his people, kind, and 100% a sap for his mate - the warlock he agreed to marry five minutes after meeting him.

Together with their band of merry mates, they stop a supernatural creepy serial killer specist warlock from killing more “outsiders”. Ethan realizes he isn’t cursed and his inability to do magic is actually a gift of magic itself - the ability to undo any spell, an immense power and burden for him to carry. But he finds solace and support in his sweet and indomitable husband and their friends, slowly healing from a life of otherness and stepping into his role as a leader of the coven and the vampires.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much! I had enjoyed the first one in the series, but this one was even better!
There is a bit of everything in this story. Magic, vampires, witches and warlocks, action, suspense and soooo much love.
I loved how brave and selfless Ethan was. He was willing to risk everything he loved and give up all he cared about to save the city and thousands of innocent people. He thought he had no magic, but for me his magic was his amazing heart.
Then there was Nathaniel, a vampire with a heart of gold. Another selfless being who just wanted to keep his city safe. He carried a past trauma that was painful for him, but he had no doubts about his feelings for Ethan from the beginning.
Their relationship was very romantic for the beginning. I hate that Ethan wasn't totally honest with Nathaniel, even though I understood his reasons. The vampire trusted his human completely and that made me swoon, because he had trust issues but they disappeared as soon as he met Ethan and realised that the warlock was his fated mate.
This book was amazing, there was so much action and suspense. There was always something happening and that hooked me so much that I couldn't stop reading. Nathaniel and Ethan were amazing together, so in tune with each other's feelings and both willing to sacrifice their happiness for the common good.
I loved this book and had a great time reading it. Obviously, I can't wait to read the next one in the series, I'm sure Tobias and Bryan's story will be great too.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nathaniel & Ethan
Rating: 4.3 ⭐

- Age Gap (Like 200yrs)
- Cinnamon Roll Vampire
- First Times
- Fated Mates
- Paranormal
- Marriage of Convenience
- Hurt/Comfort
- Vampire King/Warlock (kind of prince)

I have been waiting for Nathaniel's story to come out and am so happy with it. Ethan is such a strong character even when he didn't feel like enough, making him formidable and great pairing with the king. Now, I did figure out who the villain was pretty quickly and that Ethan's "non-powers" where going to be essential in the grand scheme of things. That's just me because I saw a lot of post stating that it was a mystery to them until the end. It didn't detract from enjoying the story and everything played out in an epic fashion, so I'm definitely not complaining.

Ethan has been an outcast in his coven since the initiation ceremony where everything changed for him and he became untouchable. His magic was taken and in its place he repels magic and cannot be harmed by it. If he's too close to spells then they can shatter or go haywire so he's given a wide berth by the coven members. He has been living amongst the humans for a while now to avoid feeling like a freak at home. Ethan, along with his friends Poppy and Tobias, have a plan to help stop the impending war between the vampires and witches/warlocks. Ethan has gleamed in a magic mirror the future and how he can put himself in certain situations to stop the culprit. Which leads to Ethan walking up the vampire king and proposing marriage. Woah is a correct response because he's never met the man and he believes the king to be a ruthless and cold killer. Boy is he in for a shock!

Nathaniel just wants peace, like he's always wanted in his city. With the random deaths by a vampire they can't find, he's running out of options to save his people from war. During a tense meeting with the witch queen, he catches the scent of his mate. Not only does he meet his mate for the first time, but his mate proposes to him within minutes of introduction. What luck and it helps buy both sides time with tensions high. Nathaniel can tell that Ethan doesn't know they are mates so he doesn't tell him, instead wanting Ethan to get to know him and love him of his own choosing. Watching them break down each other’s barriers and fall in love was ridiculously good. Nathaniel was so ooey gooey with Ethan and did everything to make him happy, even against his better judgement. He knew there were secrets that Ethan was keeping from him but he vowed to trust his warlock and protect him with his life.

The couple, the vampires, and Ethan's friends fight with everything they have to save the city and those that were done harm during the process. Ethan has to learn to love and believe in himself before fully opening up to Nathaniel. Nathaniel is so patient and understanding with Ethan, always giving him time to do things when he was ready and always with consent.

"I've been running from myself. From the coven. From the awful truth that I was untouchable. Unlovable. A freak. But Nathaniel had shown me that I could be touched. I could be loved. And since meeting him, since seeing myself through his eyes, I had been enough. Exactly enough."

I will be patiently waiting for Tobias and Bryan's story. Bryan is going to need some vampire therapy because man the things he has to heal from are rough. I'm sure Tobias will help him heal and smother him with all the love and protection of a super strong warlock. Poppy is the best friend everyone wishes they had and she's also a great twin sister to Tobias. I don't read female MCs anymore really, but I would devour a book with Poppy as the MC. She's a foul-mouthed badass and that can't be denied!

"Go get drunk with the thousand-year-old vampire?" Poppy muttered. "After the day I've just had? Sure, lady, why the hell not?"

Content Warnings: Strong language, alcohol consumption (high volumes), blood drinking, depictions of homelessness among young adults (18-25), mentions of abandonment due to transphobia, mentions of death to a loved one (off page), and on-page violence

I received a free copy of this book via GRR and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Verse: No
HEA: Yes
POV: Dual
Breakup: No
Cheating: No

[Joyfully Jay]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4 stars

This is the second book in the Blood Bonded Mates series, and is fine to be read as a standalone. I definitely liked this story better than the first book in the series. It’s got a well-rounded cast, with some twisty plot moves. I did feel like I heard too much of the story being told to me by characters’ thoughts and explanations, but it was less overt compared to the first book. Plus, as the action developed, there was far less exposition and I really found myself caught up in this drama between the vampires and the witches. While I had guessed the identity of the true villain early, I liked the subterfuge that kept the big reveal at bay for a good amount of page time.

Read Veronica’s review in its entirety here.

[Shellfish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Married to the vampire king by Jay castle is one heck of a ride. I was so nervous for Ethan and Nathaniel.
Ethan the son of the witch queen feels the only way to save his friends and family is to ask the vampire king to marry him in which Nathaniel immediately accepts because he knows they are mates and wants to be with Him. Nathaniel wants to protect Ethan and never let anything hurt him but it’s not looking good for anyone.
The story was intricate, well built, intriguing and told extremely well. I had a hard time putting my kindle down. The characters were fabulous even the minor ones. I really loved it. Seriously I can’t tell you enough how freaking good this was, I even cried, (ok I cried a lot).It was a romantic love story twined with a thrilling tale of magic. I would totally recommend. This is book 2 of Blood Bonded Mates which I read first. Doing things backwards now I’m off to read book 1.

[AnnaMeansFun · Rating 3 out of 5]

Waaaay better than the first book.

It’s still quite predictable (the culprit was foreshadowed to the point it was pretty much pointed out) and I’m begging the author the stop talking and start showing, but there’s something endearing about this world and the characters living in it.

[Damianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fine book, the writing is solid and the relationship is cute, I'm here for a cinnamon roll vampire king.

However the reader is not expected to have two brain cells to rub together, and as a result the characters are astonishingly slow on the uptake. Some of it is painful, like a couple hours after a Chekhov's blood bond is described in the form of the previous book's MCs (which I did not read so this was new info), MMC1 starts seeing the exact same effects in himself and doesn't have any idea what it might be. This sort of thing is absolutely constant, including the main mystery of the book, the information required to figure out the antagonist is agonizingly comprehensive and specific, requiring the baddie to have a unique set of attributes that have already been established as belonging to one specific character who spent his previous on-page moments saying vaguely evil things and then laughing it off. They don't figure it out until like practically the end of the book and then while he's monologuing about how the people he killed needed to die our MC is thinking they need to wait because they need more proof it's him.

However some of it is so absurd that I didn't even realize they were confused, like MMC1's magic powers. This man is well established as being an embarrassment and a nuisance because he can unravel enchantments and magic simply through an accidental touch, and yet there's a big reveal at like 60% or so that he DOES have magic and it's the power to nullify. Like, yes? Every character in the book is shocked at this revelation. Even if he was simply so cursedly unmagical that spells ran away at his approach, that's still nullifying spells so truly the only thing that they learned was the mechanics? I guess this was a shocking reveal in that I was shocked that it was a reveal.


So cute story, cute couple, would recommend you read it stoned out of your mind. This is a real "I'm recovering from a surgery or injury and I have to take Vicodin every day" read. I bet that would make it at least a 4 star. As it is, I am rounding up a bit because it's truly difficult to get that invested in people who are so clueless that they don't seem like real people.

[Kirstine Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our MCs are Ethan, son of the queen of the Seattle Coven of Witches, and Nathaniel, king of the Seattle vampires. An ancient prophetic mirror has told Ethan that marrying Nathaniel is the only way to stop an all-out war between their two species, and since he's embarrassed he has so little magic of his own that he sometimes even sabotages other people's magic, he decides that this is the way he can help.

Nathaniel thinks the whole thing is weird, but Ethan might be his way in to finally get proper information from the witches. Also, Ethan is pretty cute, so he's not about to look gift, um, witch in the mouth.

In the meantime their enemy is ramping things up, and might just be hiding in unexpected places.

[Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

That's it. Jay Castle is going on my autobuy list. Nathaniel & Ethan's book was everything I hoped for and at the same time, so much more. Absolutely adored it. Next up is Tobias & Bryan's story and then I will have to face the excruciating wait for Jay's next book. But I know it'll be worth the wait.

Please do not sleep on this series, this author. I mean it.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

[SophiaH · Rating 4 out of 5]

***3.5***
Very sweet to the point that I had to eat something spicy to offset the sugar. The vampire king Nathaniel was so soft spoken and understanding that at the end of the book I became a bit frustrated. I recently read another book from a different author also with a very understanding character but it didn't feel that on the nose there as it did in this book. If I didn’t know better I would have thought he was the sub to Ethan. Every other thought was, if Ethan wished it, or, what will make him happy. It started to feel a bit unhealthy over the course of the book, a bit co-dependent-y. Even though the mystery plot was constantly spoken about in the background I didn't feel the urgency to solve it. I guessed as to who might be responsible from the first time the person was mentioned on page, maybe this made me focus less on that part of the plot thus making the book slow down from then on but who knows.
All in all the characters were pleasant, there were some cameos from previous MCs, which was nice and the general plot was interesting. So it can be said that it was a nice in-between read.

Update:
After sleeping on it I think I figured out what irked me so. In the aforementioned other book the character stayed true to his profession and persona, so his sweetness and overprotectiveness were traits of him being a security expert and his need to protect and serve. Here Nathaniel is supposed to be an authority figure, someone strong and decisive. No one gets and especially stays in a position for that long who isn't suited to the role. So his seemingly submissive mannerisms and indecisiveness clashed with who he was supposed to be. And for me personally this cannot be explained away with "he never truly wanted to be the king". Caring is one thing, meek and constantly questioning another.

[Suzanne Irving · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cool take on vampires and witches

Nathaniel and Ethan are the main couple in this book but most of the story focuses on the problems between vampires and witches. Jay Castle managed to get one over on me because I had no idea who was responsible for what was happening and it takes a lot to pull the proverbial wool over my eyes. The story is a great mix of love story between Nathaniel and Ethan who end up forced to marry each other to help the situation between their respective clans and the other story which is about that situation. The bond that develops between the two men is lovely, which is amazing considering who they are and Castle has used some clever ideas to help their relationship develop quickly. The overall story provides a great counter point to the romance and gives the reader a run for their money as it were.

[vrstal · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5. Highlights may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

Content Warnings for book: Alcohol, houselessness, violence, off-page death of loved ones, references to transphobia

Kink: N/A

These two were very sweet and good. Despite being fated mates, this book isn’t “I love yous” from the second page. They take some time to work up to it and there is emphasis on consent in all things. Ethan and Nathaniel I loved both, and I appreciated the different struggles they went through. The mystery plot had me on edge too!

While I think the end bit with the villain was a tad rushed, I do understand why it played out the way it did. I really love how the blood bond is described and that “dark place”.

If you enjoy some sweet romance along with paranormal plot excitement, this is a good read!

[Bkwrm24 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ethan and Nathaniel ❤️

4 Stars ⭐️

I adored this book and its characters, I think I fell in love with Nathaniel from the 1st page ❤️. These two are not what you'd expect to find in a vampire story, they were so much more. The relationship build was the prefect blend of sweet and heat, the story line was great and I would absolutely recommend this one.

* I received an ARC from GRR, this is my open and honest review *

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly Enjoyable

I was hooked and could not put this book down. I loved the clever storyline and appreciated the thought that Jay Castle put into writing all the magic and incredible spells and twists and turns. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the wonderful HEA. Thank you !

[Demian Grimm · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely liked this story better than the first. These characters were more interesting, and even though I guessed the bad guy pretty much immediately, I still enjoyed the story very much.

[Alexis Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yessss

Book 2 delivers. This was great, better than book 1. Nathaniel and Ethan are surrounded by a host of side characters to boost the story and storyline. There was plenty of world building and the mystery aspect of the story was well done, in my opinion.

KU, paranormal, book in a series, vampires, mages and magic, mystery, fated mates

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC

[❀Laiz❀ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.6⭐

La historia estuvo bien y me mantuvo enganchadisima!! Lastimosamente antes de llegar a la mitad ya sabía quién era el villano e incluso mucho antes de eso descubrí cual era el "don" de Ethan. Esas dos cosas fueron super predecibles, Jay no logró camuflarlos lo suficiente, o quizá su idea era que lo descubriremos antes ¿Quién sabe?🤔

Pese a eso, el resto del misterio estuvo bien. Descubrir el cómo deshacer todos los hechizos, apaciguar los malestares y detener la enemistad entre los vampiros y brujos me intrigó, por no mencionar todos los altibajos que ocurrieron y los nuevos personajes que se sumaron a la historia... Y el final, Jesús, me sacó lágrimas🤧 me asusté mucho🥺 Nathaniel y Ethan fueron muy lindos💜 Aunque Ethan me desesperó en ciertos momentos😂 Y Poppy, ella se me hizo muy irritante y en ciertos momentos (casi todos) me dio la sensación de una niña chiquita haciendo berrinches cuando no consigue lo que quiere o no le prestan atención, con todo y eso me agradó, solo un poquito.

Definitivamente hasta ahora es el mejor libro de la serie. Espero con ansias leer a Tobías y Bryan.

[wordsandblankspaces]

DNF 50%

I just can't for the life of me get into this one. It is not as good as the first one. While it isn't horrible, the story is just dragging and the bad guy seems super obvious as well as a way to fixed the stone skin cursed people. Obviously I don't know for 100% certainty the ending of the book's plot because I do plan on finishing this someday. It's just not working for me right now or for me at any point in the last week I've attempted to get into it. One of my biggest issues is Ethan. He seems like he should be a smart guy but he misses things that are obvious. He hangs out with James and Pierce and witnesses their blood bond but when the same thing happens with Nathaniel, he has no clue what is happening. Doesn't make sense to me. I do like Nathaniel though.

[Jen Chen]

Cute romance but the book would’ve been more fun to read if I hadn’t been able to predict every single ‘twist’ super early on (including the final villain). Author is not very subtle.

Also -I immediately assumed Ethan had the power to break enchantments and and that everyone else already knew that, based on the fact he KEEPS BREAKING ENCHANTMENTS. Weren’t they all afraid to go near him because he interferes with magic? So the ‘twist’ about him actually having this power made me go …. Well yeah? How is that a surprise?

[... · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is shaping up to be a fun world! I enjoyed this one, and definitely plan on continuing with the series.

[Sao Reads (smut books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

🔹Story- 4.5⭐, Characters- 5⭐, Sex- 3.8⭐, Epilogue- 1⭐
📗4.7→5 stars | 20th May 2026. Finally! May month is salvaged!! Ok so i got most of this series over a year ago as Kindle freebies, and now decided to check them out. So happy! The story, characters, mystery, worldbuilding and sex were all well done. Can’t believe this is the author’s debut series!

Reading in this order: Nathan → Pierce → Michael → Thierry → Bryan.


This is a fated mate story in the form of marriage alliance b/w Ethan the non-magical witch, and Nathan the vampire king. Ethan did this cuz a mirror prophesied this. And he wanted to be used as bait against the villain. But things don't go according to plan.

🔹i liked Ethan. He was very much a case of "witch with no powers but ends up being all powerful" type. Spells don't work on him. He's sweet & sassy but carries a lot of heartache.

🔹But it was Nathan i loved more. Man was GONE for Ethan at first sight 😭 Truly sees Ethan for who he is, instead of the “broken” man he was made to believe he was. He's all protective and almost worships his mate. Just a good man who genuinely wants peace for his people and wants to earn his husband's love.

🔹There’s some fun dramatic irony here. Ethan thinks they’re both just playing roles, not realising Nathan is genuinely in love becuz they’re fated mates. And the telepathy aspect was great too since Nathan had no clue Ethan could hear his thoughts! 😃

🔹Surprisingly, Ethan warmed up to Nathan pretty quickly. Their sarcastic banter was genuinely fun. Even tho at first Ethan kept shutting Nathan down, the moments they do share are soft & tender.

🔹Despite this being a fated mates story, it's a slow burn. The romance doesn't start till the 2nd half of the book. They get to know e/o first, go on dates, etc. Nathan genuinely wanted Ethan to know him 1st and feared not being chosen.

🔹Wow i loved the world building here and the thought process behind magic. And just in a paragraph the process is aptly described.

However, it’s not as easy as just saying a couple of magic words and hoping for the best. The words themselves have to become powerful enough, through repeated use and a great deal of magical energy, to where they eventually become a real spell over time.

You see, Ms. moldemort? It’s that easy to come up with a proper magic system.


🔹Loved all of the vampires, they're open & welcoming unlike the bitchy witches. But i also liked Poppy & Toby. Loved that we have a sapphic couple in the making here!

🔹The mystery aspect was simple but the climax was action packed. Definitely kept me on my toes.

❗*i rate sex different from sex acts and all my reviews reflect that. The views are my personal and may not align with yours. Only read if you’re ok with that. Else, please skip this next part.*

🔹There is only 1 complete sex scene happening waaay later at 61% and 2 very brief narrated-over ones. Tbh i skim read books now to see if that section is ok, so i already knew it was well written. Definitely Jay writes good sex. And hey, appreciate that there’s no off page ones. Breakdown n explanation: The scene takes most of a chapter and it's Ethan's 1st time. It's unrealistic (apparently fated mates don't feel pain) but Ethan's reactions are all on page👀 Glad it wasn't all just descriptions and not narrated over either, so it felt intimate. As it should be. The 1st of the brief ones, even though it's just narrated over, still included reactions. So glad it wasn't off page. And the 2nd one at the epilogue, it was over in a sentence, so it's just a passing mention. Also there are 2 other sex acts in the story.



Not really issues, just some minor icks and other info:

♦️Even after marriage, Ethan spends most of his time away from Nathan, either with the coven or alone. Since he doesn’t know they’re fated, so there’s barely any foundation for his growing feelings. It says it's been a week and they’ve not spent any time together beyond breakfast. The romance only really kicks in around 50%, and i wish we got more bonding earlier on.

♦️Disliked the bitches' coven. They think they’re superior just becuz they can do magic, and they’re incredibly close minded, even towards Ethan himself. Regardless of her eventual help & support, Ethan’s mother tatiana esp came off as a stone cold bitch. No wonder he ran away and never wanted to return. They constantly make him feel ashamed of his inability. What boils my blood is they were ready to commit gen0cide on the vampires just bcuz 9 witches were murdered.

♦️Epilogue set at 2 months, is just an extended chapter.

♦OM info: None. Literally Nathan is Ethan’s 1st at everything. And for Nate, he once had a lover but was betrayed by him. That was centuries ago. Atp, we don’t know if they’re alive or not.



📗Tropes & tags: •Vampire x witch, •political alliance through marriage, •fake marriage → lovers, •fated mates, •slow burn, •touch him & die, •shower together, •carrying, •dating, •protective mate, •devoted mate, •virgin MC, •first time, •strict roles Nathan /t Ethan /b, •high angst, •high stakes, •1st person dual pov, •solid HFN→HEA.

CW: MC attacked by villain, MCs almost dying, MC presumed dead (but survives), SC almost dying.