What do you think?
Rate this book
Torn Pages: Blood & Ink Volume 1
An open world doesn't mean a friendly world.
Author Amber Marcus has a problem. Two years after the unexpected launch of her wildly successful debut novel, her overzealous - but well meaning - agent is hounding her to become the name in the supernatural romance genre. Publishing one book was hard enough, but venturing into a topic she knows nothing about is something else entirely. Vampires in particular are on the public radar, but meeting one is not on Amber’s to-do list.
Vampire Reuben DeVito has become the face of the supernatural rights movement as the first supernatural to ever make it past the primaries. With pending legislation that would put thousands of supernatural lives at risk, Reuben will do whatever it takes to win the election. And that means proving to the human population that supernaturals are people too.
A chance encounter between Amber and Reuben may provide a solution. She needs a vampire to help her write her book, and he needs a human companion to appear, well, more human. But can they set aside their own issues to help one another?
Author Amber Marcus has a problem. Two years after the unexpected launch of her wildly successful debut novel, her overzealous - but well meaning - agent is hounding her to become the name in the supernatural romance genre. Publishing one book was hard enough, but venturing into a topic she knows nothing about is something else entirely. Vampires in particular are on the public radar, but meeting one is not on Amber’s to-do list.
Vampire Reuben DeVito has become the face of the supernatural rights movement as the first supernatural to ever make it past the primaries. With pending legislation that would put thousands of supernatural lives at risk, Reuben will do whatever it takes to win the election. And that means proving to the human population that supernaturals are people too.
A chance encounter between Amber and Reuben may provide a solution. She needs a vampire to help her write her book, and he needs a human companion to appear, well, more human. But can they set aside their own issues to help one another?
193 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 10, 2024
3 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 8, 2024
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC for this book, with the expectation of a review upon completion. Mild and non-specific spoilers are referenced in my review.
⭐️: 3.4
🌶️: 0.3
Torn Pages is a romantic comedy with an undercurrent of dark politics & real life-analogous disparities. Reuben, a vampire from the 80s, has turned his life around with the help of a monster integration and equal rights group called HOME, who have in exchange, made him the front-facing candidate for their political party. Amber, a recluse writer locked into a contract, is tasked with writing a vampire monster romance by her editor. Reuben needs a relationship, fake or real, to help with winning favour in the election polls. Amber needs to know more about vampires and what it's like to romance one. Hence, when they meet at a HOME sponsored speed dating event, they hatch a plan to fake date to cover both of their needs.
The premise of this book is really strong. It has all of the things I like: fake relationship, one side falls first, political shenanigans, monster camp, subverted gendered behaviour, and modern day distresses.
This book was extremely enjoyable and fairly cozy, but it does have a few key areas where it fell short of my expectations:
1. The alternating points of view needed an additional edit or dedicated editor, as many times the narrative would slip into an open omniscient perspective or flip to the other person's mid-paragraph before switching back. For me, this was an aggravating & IMO sloppy distraction and it made me put the book down several times before finishing it. If I didn't find the characters endearing and the story premise interesting, I may not have finished the book for this reason.
2. There could have been more to outline to difference between the "Reuben" titled perspective versus the "Mr. DeVito" titled perspective. I understood it was meant to differentiate between the character being himself and the character performing for HOME, but there was a missed opportunity to really emphasize this discord and the resulting effects on his psyche.
3. Like many debut novels, this story loses a lot of its oomph with over-telling instead of showing, which is also a result of the loose perspective slips. The characters and the premise are so charming and interesting, however I get the sense the story is afraid it might be misunderstood, so it over-explains as a result. I personally really dislike being spoonfed a story and prefer to watch it breathe and do my own thinkwork as I work through it.
4. In the last quarter of the book ,the dark political undercurrent becomes more obvious, so there's some genre confusion in terms of setting up the rest of the series. This is mostly a romantic comedy, but it also is less of a comedy as you get close to the end, so I am not sure the genre marking of romantic comedy sets the correct expectations.
5. This is the first in at least two books, so the HFN/HEA is NOT final in this book, only set up, which may alienate it as a true romantic comedy, since it is not self-contained and the comedy aspect is not consistent by the end of this first story.
Things I really liked about this book that made it stood out:
1. Amber's character as an awkward, somewhat insecure, but not "delicate uwu femme". Very Velma-meets-quirky-English-prof personality and style, Amber is really refreshing as a FMC/NB-Queer Coded MC. I wish there had been more than a single dropped note about her struggle with gender identity and self expression related thereto, as it would have more strongly foiled the Reuben/Mr. DeVito setup for the other half.
2. Reuben's struggle for self acceptance and his active work to do his best not to put the burden of it on others or add to their struggles because of his own inner demons. As a MMC, it is SO nice to have a guy who recognizes his struggles or toxicity, doesn't make excuses for them, and really does his damndest to stay true to himself. I typically read a lot of anti-hero types so it was really nice to see a normal guy doing his best to be a good person.
3. Reuben just accepts everything Amber presents at face value. I'm sure in book 2 this will come to haunt them both, but he just so genuinely meets people where they are instead of where they could be or where he thinks they should be. That really endeared him to me as my favourite in the book and his unique, quirky, and quiet gentlemanly masculinity really is what carried me to the end of the book.
4. Their few dates they had and their nicknames for each other were just so accurately cringe and sweet, this was what really made the relationship believable to me. There's really nothing compared to a couple of nerdy idiots in love.
5. Cup of Joe, which is singlehandedly the best joke I've read in a book in years. IYKYK. Collectively, there wasn't a single person in the ARC group that didn't lose it over this one.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a palate cleanser or semi-cozy refresher in between high-camp monster romances and dark, broody monster romances...like if the fun of Hotel Transylvania and the real-life high stakes of The Vampire Diaries or Grimm had a happy middle ground. There are a lot of real-life disparities and struggles hinted at as ongoing problems that will come up again in the next book, that mostly don't distract from the growing relationship between Amber and Reuben, though I cannot deny wishing that more time had been spent developing their environment and slowing down the burn.
While in some ways I wish the book had been longer and better fleshed out the groundwork of the relationship(s) and the world for the second book, I do look forward to seeing how this world develops and am looking forward to the next book. I do believe that as this world has more room to expand and we get to see more between Reuben and Amber and their very different realities, many of us who love a darker monster romance or a high camp contemporary will fall in love with this world, too.
I really appreciate the opportunity to read ahead of the launch date and look forward to what happens next in book two.
⭐️: 3.4
🌶️: 0.3
Torn Pages is a romantic comedy with an undercurrent of dark politics & real life-analogous disparities. Reuben, a vampire from the 80s, has turned his life around with the help of a monster integration and equal rights group called HOME, who have in exchange, made him the front-facing candidate for their political party. Amber, a recluse writer locked into a contract, is tasked with writing a vampire monster romance by her editor. Reuben needs a relationship, fake or real, to help with winning favour in the election polls. Amber needs to know more about vampires and what it's like to romance one. Hence, when they meet at a HOME sponsored speed dating event, they hatch a plan to fake date to cover both of their needs.
The premise of this book is really strong. It has all of the things I like: fake relationship, one side falls first, political shenanigans, monster camp, subverted gendered behaviour, and modern day distresses.
This book was extremely enjoyable and fairly cozy, but it does have a few key areas where it fell short of my expectations:
1. The alternating points of view needed an additional edit or dedicated editor, as many times the narrative would slip into an open omniscient perspective or flip to the other person's mid-paragraph before switching back. For me, this was an aggravating & IMO sloppy distraction and it made me put the book down several times before finishing it. If I didn't find the characters endearing and the story premise interesting, I may not have finished the book for this reason.
2. There could have been more to outline to difference between the "Reuben" titled perspective versus the "Mr. DeVito" titled perspective. I understood it was meant to differentiate between the character being himself and the character performing for HOME, but there was a missed opportunity to really emphasize this discord and the resulting effects on his psyche.
3. Like many debut novels, this story loses a lot of its oomph with over-telling instead of showing, which is also a result of the loose perspective slips. The characters and the premise are so charming and interesting, however I get the sense the story is afraid it might be misunderstood, so it over-explains as a result. I personally really dislike being spoonfed a story and prefer to watch it breathe and do my own thinkwork as I work through it.
4. In the last quarter of the book ,the dark political undercurrent becomes more obvious, so there's some genre confusion in terms of setting up the rest of the series. This is mostly a romantic comedy, but it also is less of a comedy as you get close to the end, so I am not sure the genre marking of romantic comedy sets the correct expectations.
5. This is the first in at least two books, so the HFN/HEA is NOT final in this book, only set up, which may alienate it as a true romantic comedy, since it is not self-contained and the comedy aspect is not consistent by the end of this first story.
Things I really liked about this book that made it stood out:
1. Amber's character as an awkward, somewhat insecure, but not "delicate uwu femme". Very Velma-meets-quirky-English-prof personality and style, Amber is really refreshing as a FMC/NB-Queer Coded MC. I wish there had been more than a single dropped note about her struggle with gender identity and self expression related thereto, as it would have more strongly foiled the Reuben/Mr. DeVito setup for the other half.
2. Reuben's struggle for self acceptance and his active work to do his best not to put the burden of it on others or add to their struggles because of his own inner demons. As a MMC, it is SO nice to have a guy who recognizes his struggles or toxicity, doesn't make excuses for them, and really does his damndest to stay true to himself. I typically read a lot of anti-hero types so it was really nice to see a normal guy doing his best to be a good person.
3. Reuben just accepts everything Amber presents at face value. I'm sure in book 2 this will come to haunt them both, but he just so genuinely meets people where they are instead of where they could be or where he thinks they should be. That really endeared him to me as my favourite in the book and his unique, quirky, and quiet gentlemanly masculinity really is what carried me to the end of the book.
4. Their few dates they had and their nicknames for each other were just so accurately cringe and sweet, this was what really made the relationship believable to me. There's really nothing compared to a couple of nerdy idiots in love.
5. Cup of Joe, which is singlehandedly the best joke I've read in a book in years. IYKYK. Collectively, there wasn't a single person in the ARC group that didn't lose it over this one.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a palate cleanser or semi-cozy refresher in between high-camp monster romances and dark, broody monster romances...like if the fun of Hotel Transylvania and the real-life high stakes of The Vampire Diaries or Grimm had a happy middle ground. There are a lot of real-life disparities and struggles hinted at as ongoing problems that will come up again in the next book, that mostly don't distract from the growing relationship between Amber and Reuben, though I cannot deny wishing that more time had been spent developing their environment and slowing down the burn.
While in some ways I wish the book had been longer and better fleshed out the groundwork of the relationship(s) and the world for the second book, I do look forward to seeing how this world develops and am looking forward to the next book. I do believe that as this world has more room to expand and we get to see more between Reuben and Amber and their very different realities, many of us who love a darker monster romance or a high camp contemporary will fall in love with this world, too.
I really appreciate the opportunity to read ahead of the launch date and look forward to what happens next in book two.
August 10, 2024
{3.25/5}
CW: anxiety, depression, prejudice, references to stalking/attempted harm
Thank you to the author for allowing me to be a part of the ARC team! “Torn Pages” releases September 10, 2024.
Equal parts awkward and cute, that abrupt ending will smack you out of nowhere.
It’s been 60 years since the supernatural world came out to the humans, but their civil rights are still in the toilet. Reuben Devito, vampire, needs to make a good impression if he hopes to win the upcoming election, which would put him in the perfect position to start making positive changes. Meanwhile, antisocial author Amber Marcus needs inspiration for her next book, a supernatural romance. Having no real experience herself, this is proving to be a problem. The two get together and plot a fake dating scheme to solve both of their problems, but they never expected the very real feelings to bloom between them.
I am a chronic sufferer of second-hand embarrassment. When the characters I read about do something ridiculous, I cringe just as hard on their behalf. This means that I spent a good portion of this book wincing— these two are some of the most awkward, fumbling MCs I’ve ever read about. Bless them both, between their anxiety/panic issues and a general lack of romantic interpersonal skills, it’s a wonder they ever set foot outside.
Fortunately for my soul and these two MCs, their version of uncomfortable frequently veers directly into ‘oh my god, they’re so awkward it’s cute.’ It’s the strongest saving grace of the entire book. Their banter and interactions made me laugh, and it ends up (mostly) being adorable.
The plot itself centers on Reuben and Amber fumbling their way through a fake dating setup, and although it does follow the standard ‘whoops I actually like the other person,’ it escalated rapidly. Really, it borders more on an insta-love trope, except that both of them are so concerned about the other that they keep trying to talk themselves out of it. Again, incredibly awkward , but kind of sweet. One of my problems with the structure was that it toes a fine line with the miscommunication trope, except that it’s not just ‘oh they should just talk it out.’ It’s ’they should talk it out but everyone is so anxious and stressed the entire time that they literally can’t until they do.’ As someone who also deals with a lot of social anxiety, I understood both parties here, and I know how hard that sort of communication can be, but as a reader who picks books to escape reality, having both parties in the relationship have almost the same issues was a lot, and it became exhausting for me to read. This isn’t a long book, but it felt like it took me the same amount time that some books double the length require simply because it reflected a lot of real-world issues in amounts I don’t prefer to read about. Totally a personal preference here, and a lot of people may actually really enjoy the representation.
All in all, this is a cute story. It’s borderline cozy romance, but it brings in just enough outside issues (via the supernatural/human dynamic) and mental health in relationships rep to take it firmly out of the ‘cozy’ category for me. It’s got some really funny, sweet moments, and I think if I’d been in a different headspace reading it I may have enjoyed it even more. The ending was incredibly abrupt, though, which kind of jarred me out of the story entirely. If you like fake dating turned into real attraction, vamp/human relationships, and a heaping dose of anxious nerds, then this book might be for you!
CW: anxiety, depression, prejudice, references to stalking/attempted harm
Thank you to the author for allowing me to be a part of the ARC team! “Torn Pages” releases September 10, 2024.
Equal parts awkward and cute, that abrupt ending will smack you out of nowhere.
It’s been 60 years since the supernatural world came out to the humans, but their civil rights are still in the toilet. Reuben Devito, vampire, needs to make a good impression if he hopes to win the upcoming election, which would put him in the perfect position to start making positive changes. Meanwhile, antisocial author Amber Marcus needs inspiration for her next book, a supernatural romance. Having no real experience herself, this is proving to be a problem. The two get together and plot a fake dating scheme to solve both of their problems, but they never expected the very real feelings to bloom between them.
I am a chronic sufferer of second-hand embarrassment. When the characters I read about do something ridiculous, I cringe just as hard on their behalf. This means that I spent a good portion of this book wincing— these two are some of the most awkward, fumbling MCs I’ve ever read about. Bless them both, between their anxiety/panic issues and a general lack of romantic interpersonal skills, it’s a wonder they ever set foot outside.
Fortunately for my soul and these two MCs, their version of uncomfortable frequently veers directly into ‘oh my god, they’re so awkward it’s cute.’ It’s the strongest saving grace of the entire book. Their banter and interactions made me laugh, and it ends up (mostly) being adorable.
The plot itself centers on Reuben and Amber fumbling their way through a fake dating setup, and although it does follow the standard ‘whoops I actually like the other person,’ it escalated rapidly. Really, it borders more on an insta-love trope, except that both of them are so concerned about the other that they keep trying to talk themselves out of it. Again, incredibly awkward , but kind of sweet. One of my problems with the structure was that it toes a fine line with the miscommunication trope, except that it’s not just ‘oh they should just talk it out.’ It’s ’they should talk it out but everyone is so anxious and stressed the entire time that they literally can’t until they do.’ As someone who also deals with a lot of social anxiety, I understood both parties here, and I know how hard that sort of communication can be, but as a reader who picks books to escape reality, having both parties in the relationship have almost the same issues was a lot, and it became exhausting for me to read. This isn’t a long book, but it felt like it took me the same amount time that some books double the length require simply because it reflected a lot of real-world issues in amounts I don’t prefer to read about. Totally a personal preference here, and a lot of people may actually really enjoy the representation.
All in all, this is a cute story. It’s borderline cozy romance, but it brings in just enough outside issues (via the supernatural/human dynamic) and mental health in relationships rep to take it firmly out of the ‘cozy’ category for me. It’s got some really funny, sweet moments, and I think if I’d been in a different headspace reading it I may have enjoyed it even more. The ending was incredibly abrupt, though, which kind of jarred me out of the story entirely. If you like fake dating turned into real attraction, vamp/human relationships, and a heaping dose of anxious nerds, then this book might be for you!
August 24, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ review. This book was given to me as an ARC read in the agreement of an honest review in return.
If you're a fan of flirty and intimate rom-coms where the main characters are so awkward with each other, it becomes cute and endearing, then this is for you. A sweet little story where the two main characters agree to date each other purely to both further their careers with no emotional attachments involved. But is all the flirty banter just a show for the public eye, or is it actually real?!
Whilst there were elements of this book I really did find quite sweet and enjoyable to read along with like the sealife centre date for example or seeing the texts written out in their bubbles like you would an actual text message. There, unfortunately, were quite a few bits I did find cringeworthy and awkward. I know this was kind of the point that the author was trying to make with that storyline used, so maybe it's something I've found I just personally don't like as a reader.
There were also a few elements where I found the main female character got on my nerves because there were points she just wasn't being true to herself. For example, when she started to get noticed from the press and public, it terrified her as she's naturally a hermit if you will. She enjoys her own company and the comfort of her home and doesn't go out if she can help it besides to her trusty coffee spot for hot cocoa. So I found it a tad odd that she'd then torture herself by reading all the public comments on the articles or pictures that she was captured in. For me, it just didn't fit her character, despite what we later learned happened to her in her past. To me, it's still not something I could see her doing authentically.
I did enjoy the supernatural element to this, and I think perhaps learning about the supernatural beings as individual species more would have made this more enjoyable for me personally. Like during speed dating, or learning more about Reuben's colleagues or perhaps even with Amber's sister's husband.
Whilst I did enjoy it enough to want to finish it to see how it ends and I'm thankful to Ashley for giving me the opportunity to read her book as an ARC reader in the first place, I think I've just found cutsie and awkward rom-coms are not for me.
If you're a fan of flirty and intimate rom-coms where the main characters are so awkward with each other, it becomes cute and endearing, then this is for you. A sweet little story where the two main characters agree to date each other purely to both further their careers with no emotional attachments involved. But is all the flirty banter just a show for the public eye, or is it actually real?!
Whilst there were elements of this book I really did find quite sweet and enjoyable to read along with like the sealife centre date for example or seeing the texts written out in their bubbles like you would an actual text message. There, unfortunately, were quite a few bits I did find cringeworthy and awkward. I know this was kind of the point that the author was trying to make with that storyline used, so maybe it's something I've found I just personally don't like as a reader.
There were also a few elements where I found the main female character got on my nerves because there were points she just wasn't being true to herself. For example, when she started to get noticed from the press and public, it terrified her as she's naturally a hermit if you will. She enjoys her own company and the comfort of her home and doesn't go out if she can help it besides to her trusty coffee spot for hot cocoa. So I found it a tad odd that she'd then torture herself by reading all the public comments on the articles or pictures that she was captured in. For me, it just didn't fit her character, despite what we later learned happened to her in her past. To me, it's still not something I could see her doing authentically.
I did enjoy the supernatural element to this, and I think perhaps learning about the supernatural beings as individual species more would have made this more enjoyable for me personally. Like during speed dating, or learning more about Reuben's colleagues or perhaps even with Amber's sister's husband.
Whilst I did enjoy it enough to want to finish it to see how it ends and I'm thankful to Ashley for giving me the opportunity to read her book as an ARC reader in the first place, I think I've just found cutsie and awkward rom-coms are not for me.
September 9, 2024
As someone who fell head over heels for the Twilight Saga during my teenage years, I’ve been craving that same appealing reading experience—something that blends romance with a touch of the supernatural. So, when I stumbled upon an author seeking ARC readers for her supernatural book, I jumped at the chance. The plot instantly grabbed my attention—a vampire and a human author in a fake dating setup? Yes, please! 👌
The story revolves around Reuben, a vampire running for political office with the aim of backing supernatural rights, and our charming human author, who’s desperate for inspiration for her next novel. Both enter into a fake dating arrangement to serve their own needs: Reuben wants to boost his public image, while our FMC author is determined to gain enough experience to become a standout name in the supernatural romance genre.
The characters are adorably awkward in the best way possible. Their interactions made me smile, and I found myself grinning at their sweet yet fumbling moments. The romance never felt forced or cringeworthy—instead, I was rooting for them all the way through.
I’ll admit, the book cover didn’t initially draw me in. But trust me, don’t judge this book by its cover because once you dive into the story, it’s impossible to put down. And what an end it was—cliffhanger alert!
If you’re in the mood for a quick, captivating read that gives you all the feels of a classic vampire romance with a modern twist, then this is the book you need on your shelf. I can’t wait to see where this story goes next, and I’m eagerly awaiting the sequel!
The story revolves around Reuben, a vampire running for political office with the aim of backing supernatural rights, and our charming human author, who’s desperate for inspiration for her next novel. Both enter into a fake dating arrangement to serve their own needs: Reuben wants to boost his public image, while our FMC author is determined to gain enough experience to become a standout name in the supernatural romance genre.
The characters are adorably awkward in the best way possible. Their interactions made me smile, and I found myself grinning at their sweet yet fumbling moments. The romance never felt forced or cringeworthy—instead, I was rooting for them all the way through.
I’ll admit, the book cover didn’t initially draw me in. But trust me, don’t judge this book by its cover because once you dive into the story, it’s impossible to put down. And what an end it was—cliffhanger alert!
If you’re in the mood for a quick, captivating read that gives you all the feels of a classic vampire romance with a modern twist, then this is the book you need on your shelf. I can’t wait to see where this story goes next, and I’m eagerly awaiting the sequel!
September 10, 2024
3.5 rounded to 4 stars
CW: Anxiety, References to stalking/attempted and/or threat of harm
Amber is a romance author writing under a pen name, with no romance experience. Hitting writer's block on her second (and much demanded) book, she decides to include a supernatural love interest, leading her to a human/supernatural speed dating event for 'research'.
Reuben is a Vampire politician working non-stop to give supernatural beings basic rights and hitting a lot of pushback. After being told a human girlfriend could help him in the ratings he finds himself at the same speed dating event.
Upon meeting the two get along well and agree on a fake relationship to help them both meet their goals.... then romance becomes all too real.
This book is almost cosy in its approach, a fluffy budding romance against a serious discussion of groups of people deserving the bare minimum of rights. It has the usual writing quirks you find in debut books such as over-writing and the occasional stilted dialogue (found in both Indie and traditionally published books), however, it doesn't detract from the enjoyment of following Amber and Reuben as they fall in love.
CW: Anxiety, References to stalking/attempted and/or threat of harm
Amber is a romance author writing under a pen name, with no romance experience. Hitting writer's block on her second (and much demanded) book, she decides to include a supernatural love interest, leading her to a human/supernatural speed dating event for 'research'.
Reuben is a Vampire politician working non-stop to give supernatural beings basic rights and hitting a lot of pushback. After being told a human girlfriend could help him in the ratings he finds himself at the same speed dating event.
Upon meeting the two get along well and agree on a fake relationship to help them both meet their goals.... then romance becomes all too real.
This book is almost cosy in its approach, a fluffy budding romance against a serious discussion of groups of people deserving the bare minimum of rights. It has the usual writing quirks you find in debut books such as over-writing and the occasional stilted dialogue (found in both Indie and traditionally published books), however, it doesn't detract from the enjoyment of following Amber and Reuben as they fall in love.
August 18, 2024
Reuben DeVito, a vampire working for HOME, is running in the elections, but humans, wary of supernaturals, are determined to sabotage his chances. To prove that supernaturals are just as deserving of rights as humans, Reuben decides to fake date someone. Enter Amber Marcus, a human author struggling with writer's block on her second book. Seeking inspiration, she attends a dating event between humans and supernaturals and meets Reuben. Can Reuben and Amber put their differences aside and help each other?
Never judge a book by its cover; this slow-paced debut is the kind of story you dive into without any expectations, only to be pleasantly surprised by its depth. Everything was going so well—why did you have to end it like that, Ashley? I'm eagerly awaiting what comes next. It's a perfect read for fans of Bride, offering a compelling experience as it gradually unfolds.
Never judge a book by its cover; this slow-paced debut is the kind of story you dive into without any expectations, only to be pleasantly surprised by its depth. Everything was going so well—why did you have to end it like that, Ashley? I'm eagerly awaiting what comes next. It's a perfect read for fans of Bride, offering a compelling experience as it gradually unfolds.
September 11, 2025
The story follows Amber (a human) and Reuben (a vampire) who enter a mutually benificial fake dating pact Amber needs material for the romance novel she’s writing about a vampire–human relationship. Reuben, on the other hand, is running for office to help ensure supernaturals representation and improve supernatural lives. His team believes that being in a relationship with a human will strengthen his chances by showing that not all supernaturals are dangerous, they simply want to live peacefully and gain the same rights as humans.
I absolutely loved the dynamic between Amber and Reuben. Their awkwardness was so adorable, and their interactions had me giggling and laughing the whole time.
That cliffhanger left me so enraged I immediately had to read Book 2.
Thank you, Ashley Chapman, for the ARC. It was such a pleasure reading this novel.
I absolutely loved the dynamic between Amber and Reuben. Their awkwardness was so adorable, and their interactions had me giggling and laughing the whole time.
That cliffhanger left me so enraged I immediately had to read Book 2.
Thank you, Ashley Chapman, for the ARC. It was such a pleasure reading this novel.
September 11, 2025
What's not to adore about a world where humans and supernatural creatures peacefully coexist, offering a clever parallel to our own, and thought-provoking plot, all wrapped up in a cozy read.
The story line is delightful, as it adeptly explores the challenges of two different societies with the Fmc Amber and the Mmc Reuben overcoming personal struggles. The descriptive character relationships between the two is particularly noteworthy, conveying a sense of warmth and resilience. This engaging and uplifting story, shows that even in difficult circumstances, hope and meaningful connections are possible.
Leaving you with a soft cliff hanger and more to chew on…
The story line is delightful, as it adeptly explores the challenges of two different societies with the Fmc Amber and the Mmc Reuben overcoming personal struggles. The descriptive character relationships between the two is particularly noteworthy, conveying a sense of warmth and resilience. This engaging and uplifting story, shows that even in difficult circumstances, hope and meaningful connections are possible.
Leaving you with a soft cliff hanger and more to chew on…
August 29, 2024
Twilight for adults, but minus all the terrible masculine figures. What's not to love?
This story intrigued me right away with the premise: a world of supernaturals and humans that cleverly parallels our own, which delivers powerful statements about equality and humanity while wrapped up in a meet-cute, fake-dating trope. Seriously, who does that?!
A master, that's who.
I am excited for future installments. I would love to see a larger dive into the darkness of the world and the inequality faced by the supernaturals. I'm intrigued!
This story intrigued me right away with the premise: a world of supernaturals and humans that cleverly parallels our own, which delivers powerful statements about equality and humanity while wrapped up in a meet-cute, fake-dating trope. Seriously, who does that?!
A master, that's who.
I am excited for future installments. I would love to see a larger dive into the darkness of the world and the inequality faced by the supernaturals. I'm intrigued!
September 7, 2024
3.5⭐️ Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Torn Pages; these opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed this story of two socially awkward beings finding each other and bringing the other out of their shell. Some of the dialogue was a little too perfect in places, but it was sweet with loads of romcom moments! But the big struggle I had was around the abruptness of the ending. I’m okay with a cliffhanger, but this one felt like a sideswipe because it came almost out of nowhere. I really like Gem & Benji’s dynamic though, and will definitely read book 2.
I really enjoyed this story of two socially awkward beings finding each other and bringing the other out of their shell. Some of the dialogue was a little too perfect in places, but it was sweet with loads of romcom moments! But the big struggle I had was around the abruptness of the ending. I’m okay with a cliffhanger, but this one felt like a sideswipe because it came almost out of nowhere. I really like Gem & Benji’s dynamic though, and will definitely read book 2.
September 26, 2024
What a cliffhanger ending!
I found myself routing for both Amber and Reuben, individually and together. I just want them to be safe, happy, and accomplished in their endeavors.
I had the unique pleasure of being a beta reader for this book and I can confidently say this author just gets better with every draft! From one draft to another her graps of the craft and how to tell a story. I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens to these characters, and how the authors career blossoms!
I found myself routing for both Amber and Reuben, individually and together. I just want them to be safe, happy, and accomplished in their endeavors.
I had the unique pleasure of being a beta reader for this book and I can confidently say this author just gets better with every draft! From one draft to another her graps of the craft and how to tell a story. I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens to these characters, and how the authors career blossoms!
August 24, 2025
This is a cozy read for me. Navigating the best of two worlds and personal issues were never easy. Despite the little mishaps between the character, i love how the author portrays warmth between the characters. This fast paced book proves things still works against all odds and there's always hopes and deeper connection somewhere. But do expect the soft cliffhanger. Love the book!
Thank you for the ARC opportunity 🙌
Thank you for the ARC opportunity 🙌
September 12, 2024
This was my first book with a vampire x human theme. Yes, I did watch Twilight but never read a book. Definitely not a bad experience
This is a book about a vampire politician who needs to be seen cozying around humans to prove that they are safe to gain more votes. The FMC is a human author who needs research material for her new romance book about, you guessed it, a vampire and human.
So they decide to fake date.
I did enjoy the plot of the book but the ending!!!
Why the cliffhanger???😭
I felt the ending was very abrupt. Need the second book immediately!
This is a book about a vampire politician who needs to be seen cozying around humans to prove that they are safe to gain more votes. The FMC is a human author who needs research material for her new romance book about, you guessed it, a vampire and human.
So they decide to fake date.
I did enjoy the plot of the book but the ending!!!
Why the cliffhanger???😭
I felt the ending was very abrupt. Need the second book immediately!
September 16, 2024
The description of the book looked interesting. Sadly the reality was boring and the FMC was annoying. She was constantly putting herself down and there didn't feel like any real chemistry between the main characters.
September 18, 2024
Such a cute story! Love the characters, and I am excited to read book two!
September 1, 2025
I really enjoyed this one! the awkwardness of both characters was absolutely delightful to me.
Excited to see what happens next!
Excited to see what happens next!
September 9, 2025
I thought it was a fun read. Sometimes I don't know if the characters exactly acted their age, but it was enjoyable. I think you should give it a try.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews