The Vampires Guide to Wooing a Curator

Fated Vampire Mates #3

by Melissa Kendall

Fifty-six years after being abandoned by the only woman he’s ever loved, vampire thief Jonathan Drake has no interest in finding his fated mate, even if the lack of a mating bond will eventually kill him. So, when he discovers the beautiful vampire hunter who once tried to kill his brother now possesses an ancient manuscript rumored to hold the secret to surviving without a mate, he decides to punish her by convincing her to trust him before stealing the manuscript out from under her.

After watching a vampire kill her parents, assistant curator Felicity Sorrow is determined to expose the evil creatures to the public, even if it means risking her reputation and employment by hosting a scandalous exhibit. Then an irritatingly handsome reformed thief barges into her museum and points out several security flaws. Determined to get revenge no matter the cost, she uses forbidden magic inherited from a distant ancestor to ward her enemies away.

Then a note is left outside her upcoming exhibit threatening the centerpiece of her collection and forcing her to accept Jonathan’s help. But when a failed spell results in Jonathan becoming compelled to obey Felicity, she must decide between ordering him to help find the vampire who killed her parents or embracing the first love she’s felt in over a decade.

Unknown Binding

Published May 15, 2026

About the author

Melissa is four raccoons in a 19th century tea gown furiously arguing over who gets to write the next book. She lives in the windswept Canadian prairies and quiets the chaos by flipping back and forth between episodes of Bridgerton and Supernatural. When she is not sobbing over fictional characters, she can be found begging her ancient sewing machine to get through one more project.

Reviews

[Becky (romantic_pursuing_feels) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: Some of my goodreads shelves can be spoilers

Overall: 4.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖📖 (I was pretty into this one! A 4.5!)
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔 (I think this might have been better if I had read in order? I’m not sure how much page time these mains had, if any, in the prior books)
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡ (Loved the tension here!)
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋 (I LOVED so much about her kisses and sex scenes – I only wish they were longer.)
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 (maybe a 2.5 – honestly way too short because I was loving it!)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥
Humor: Yes, a bit
Perspective: third person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? a mix but maybe more plot?
How did the speed of the story feel? medium (I think the plot was kind of a medium speed but I also found it like a ‘fast paced’ feeling read – I flew through it and thought the dialogue was great and didn’t stall in any parts – maybe this is personal preference)
When mains are first on page together: pretty soon in, end of ch 1 (about 7%)
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after for the mains
Epilogue: the last chapter is 4 months later
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy through NetGalley in e-book form
Why I chose this book: I have wanted to try Melissa Kendall for a long time! When I saw this advertised with an ‘Inuyasha style restraint necklace and as I’m currently watching that show with my daughter I knew I had to try it.
Mains: Jonathan Drake and Felicity Sorrow – this is a M/F relationship between a vampire hero and human heroine
Audiobook available (as of posting)? No
(Descriptions found at end of my review)

Should I read in order?
This is the 3rd book in Kendall’s Fated Vampire Mates – it’s the first one by this author I’ve read. I found it pretty readable alone but if you like knowing history of the characters you might want to read in order – there’s some events talked about that have happened previously and this heroine was best friends with a vampire side character who was the human heroine of the last book.

Basic plot:
Jonathan is going to die from mate atrophy – and he believes the vampire hunter Felicity has the answer in her manuscript on display at the museum.

Give this a try if you want:
- historical paranormal romance – Victorian – 1873
- London setting
- vampire hero / human heroine pairing
- thief hero
- curator / vampire hunter heroine
- forbidden romance elements – he’s the enemy (as is she to him…)
- secret identity
- fated mates
- telepathy elements
- age gap – he’s an older vampire but only by 60 years or so 😂
- he’ll die without his mate
- some enemies to lovers elements – hunter vs vampire
- lower steam – 1 full scene but I thought the tension was great!

Ages:
- so I’m not sure about the hero, but I think he was newly vampirized in Regency times? So I would think he’s around 80ish?? I’m not sure about the heroine but maybe like 20s?

First line:
Jonathan Drake clutched the slippery fabric of his silk shirt and staggered out of his coffin onto the bare earth beneath the house his nest had chosen as a daylight haven.

My thoughts:
Wow I really loved this novel! Kendall has been on my TBR for while – I love her instagram videos and find her so adorable – so when I saw the art for this novel combined with an Inuyasha style restraint necklace I knew it was time to check it out.

I loved how Jonathan and Felicity were on page a lot – I really loved both of their personalities and I felt like they were perfect for each other! I thought the novel was pretty fast paced in a good way – I flew through it was just eating up all their interactions.

This one only has 1 full scene for spice but I thought there was a little of little moments that I loved and really built up the tension throughout the book. If I had one complaint, it was that I wanted those scenes longer. They are quite light and I was just loving what I was getting so I wanted more because I’m greedy 😆

I’m definitely going to be checking out the other books by her and the others in the series!

World Building:
- most people don’t know about vampire existence
- the heroine comes from a family of vampire hunters – they have lore and artifacts about vampire existence including spells and the ability to do magic from a fae ancestor
- vampires have blue in their eyes, especially before feeding
- vampires have mind powers – he was able to erase himself from the heroine’s memory when he meets her again so she didn’t remember him
- vampires can move extremely fast, looking like a blur or feeling like wind to humans
- some vampires (like the hero from book 1) can figure out a human’s emotions from the smell of their blood
- vampires do not cast a reflection in mirrors
- vampires have fated mates and go through ‘mate atrophy’ if they do not find their mate – it’s a fatal illness
- vampires cannot resist the commands of their makers

Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: This is my first
Average rating from me: 5 stars
Favorite book: This one!

Quotes any typos are my own! I am bad with typos, I apologize


He slid his hand around hers and squeezed. It was merely a sealing of their agreement, but it felt like so much more, especially when he rubbed her knuckles with his thumb. A shiver went down her spine. She put a more appropriate distance between them and squared her shoulders. “Where do we start?”
His eyes swirled with blue gain. “We start with you letting me bite you.”
Her jaw dropped open before she slammed it shut. “That is quite enough, Mr. Drake. What possible reason could you…?” She trailed off as he raised his hand to his nose and inhaled deeply.
When his eyelids fluttered open, his pupils were dilated. “Your scent,” he whispered. “It grows strong with anger.”
---
“What do you say?” he whispered. He slid his arms around her back until she was pressed tightly against him, her palms flattened against his chest, her hips grinding into his. She shivered. He was so cold, a pillar of marble absorbing the heat from her body.
---
Mr Drake’s eyes turned vibrant blue gain, and when he parted his lips, he revealed the sharp tips of his fangs. A rush of heat flowed through her and gathered in the place between her thighs, making her squirm.
His nostrils flared. “Stop that.”
She swallowed thickly. “I am not doing anything.”
He closed his eyes and lowered his face until his cheek was pressed against hers. “The scene of your desire is making it difficult to concentrate.”
---
Then his ice-cold lips touched her skin, and her knees went weak. She clenched the slippery fabric of his shirt to keep from collapsing into a heap. “Please.” The tension was unbearable.
He growled, a sound that raised the hairs on her arms, and then whispered, “You don’t know how long I’ve waited for you to say that.”
---
Something hit the floor.
“That bitch hit me!” Mr. Maclean shouted.
“Should have kept your hands to yourself, Maclean.” Mr. Wormwood said dryly. “Sit down before I’m forced to kick you out.”
She dared a peek. Mr. Maclean was being physically restrained by two other vampires. His chair lay on its side on the floor.
“I’ll not be leavin’ until I’ve seen her punished,” Mr. Maclean said.
Mr. Drake chuckled. “Punishment? As you wish.” Then he twisted his body in an oddly serpentine motion that ended with Felicity lying prone over his legs. It happened so quickly that she didn’t have time to react before his palm came down on her rear.
She held back an outraged scream with tremendous effort. He was spanking her.
“No.” SMACK. “Hitting.” SMACK.
The strokes were so hard that they echoed in the small room, but far worse than the indignation of being treated like a child and the jeers of the other vampires was the dampness pooling between her thighs. She wished at that moment that she could melt through the floor, but as that was not an option, she closed her eyes and soothed her anger with increasingly violent thoughts of what she’d do to Mr. Drake when they left the gambling den.
When her ‘punishment’ was over, he lifted her by the waist, settled her on his lap, and brought their mouths together.
---
Then he dropped to his knees and squirmed between her legs. He hardly made a sound, while she had to hold her breath to keep from screeching when his freezing fingers tugged her trousers down.
That was only the beginning, though, as the next thing she felt was his tongue sliding along her skin.
Her knees wobbled, and her heart pounded in her chest. He was licking the blood from her thigh. She pressed her hands against the wall and concentrated on remaining silent. It was tremendously difficult because each rasp of his tongue sent tingling sensations through her core.
---
“Felicity…” His voice was so low, it was almost a growl. “What are you doing?”
She lifted the wound to his mouth. “Drink.”
He moved his head away. “You don’t have to do this.”
Despite his words, his irises brightened, and his throat worked.
She pressed her wrist against his mouth. “I want to.”
He uttered an animalistic growl, then began lapping at her cut. Pleasure washed through her body. Her legs went slack.
He gathered her in his arms.
---
“I-I need…” Felicity whispered.
“What do you need?” He ran his thumbs along either side of her mons pubis. “Shall I fuck you with my fingers?” He flicked his tongue against her neck. “Or something else?”
---
“Say it.” He kissed the skin beneath her ear while twisting his knuckles around her sensitive bud. “Tell me you want me to fuck you.”
“I-I want,” she wiped the sweat from her face with her sleeve. “God!”
He twirled the fingers of his other hand around her entrance. “Be brave, little hunter.”



Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.

- smoking (brief)
- parental murder remembered
- some scenes of violence – domestic violence (ex – the heroine is hit in the face by her uncle, who is cruel to her, there are some battles with werewolves/other vampires
- death on page – fledglings are killed, remembered side character deaths
- opium usage mentioned

Author content warnings? Didn’t catch any (I always encourage you to check author’s websites, since Amazon penalizes authors for certain content warning words in their novels)


Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:

Safe sex: No
How’s the consent? It’s….good – there’s some moments, kisses that he doesn’t ask for consent specifically (example – when they are infiltrating a vampire den for information and she’s in danger and must act like a thrall, he spanks her and kisses her to avoid confrontation)
Pregnancy/children in story? No
Chapter 13 – he bites her
Chapter 15 – brief kiss
Chapter 17 – he licks blood off her thigh scratch at the brothel
Chapter 22 – fingering for her, bj (incomplete), her on top (v loss for her)
Total chapters: 28


Extra stuff like what my review breakdown means, where to find me, and book clubs


Full break down on what my ratings above mean here:
Overall: How I felt about it everything considered!
Readability: How ‘readable’ was the book? Did I fly through it? Did I have to tell myself to pick it back up repeatedly? Were any passages confusing? (I will probably score like (1) is literally unreadable due to formatting/typing errors, etc (2) There were lots of errors that made it difficult to read OR It was extremely confusing and I had to reread passages to make sense of it OR I disliked it so much I had to bribe myself to keep reading (3) I didn’t really want to keep reading and would have preferred to abandon the read and start something else OR some minor continuity issues/confusion (4) I liked it fine, maybe a minor error or 2. I was happy to pick it up when I had time. (5) I never wanted to put this down. I thought about it when I wasn’t reading it. I hid in the bathroom from my kids to read. I threw inappropriate food at my children for dinner so I could read instead.)
Feels: Totally subjective to each person but did the book give me any tingles? Any butterflies? Did it rip my heart out (in a good way?)
Emotional depth: How well do I feel I know the characters at the end? How much did I feel their emotions throughout the story?
Sexual tension: Again, subjective, but how strong was the wanting and longing to me between the characters? A book might have strong sexual tension without a single touch.
Romance: Was there romance? Did romantic things happen? This can be actions/words/thoughts of the characters and again is subjective.
Sensuality: This is how the intimate scenes are written. Kisses and sexual scenes – how sensual were they? Were they on the mechanical side? Was there emotional pull tied in? Were the details explicit or flowery? These are subjective but generally (1) too short to get a good judgment (2) not all what I'm looking for - very vague or flowery prose (3) either not explicit enough or not enough emotional pull (too mechanical/physically descriptive without the emotions) (4) what I love in a scene (5) absolute perfection - perfect balance of emotional longing and explicit descriptions
Sex Scene Length: How long the bedroom scenes are (generally (1) is 1-3 sentences (2) is a few paragraphs to a page-ish (3) is about average, a few pages (4) more well developed scenes, quite a few pages with descriptions (5) the majority of the book takes place in the bedroom. This is always hard to tell for me on audio!
Steam Scale: Generally, each flame is a scene. If scenes are super close together I sometimes combine them. If a scene is super short or so vague I don’t know what’s happening, I don’t count it. There’s some levels of grey but generally the number of flames is how many sex scenes there are (I max out at 5 so I’ll put a + after if there’s more than that)


Find me
Instagram || The Storygraph || Bookbub ||

Book Clubs
The Ton and the Tartans (Historical Romance)
Upturned Petticoats and Undone Cravats (Historical Romance with Steam Requirements)
A Love Less Ordinary (Science Fiction, Paranormal, Monster, Fantasy)
Modern Manuscripts (Contemporary Romance)
Words for the Wicked (Contemporary Romance with Steam Requirements)
Vintage Romance (Old School Romance – published 2000 and prior)

[Mathea Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Vampire's Guide to Wooing a Creator by Melissa Kendall | Review
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 Stars) ARC received via NetGalley

The Setup
Jonathan Drake is a vampire and former thief whose creator abandoned their nest fifty years ago, driven out by mate atrophy—a disease that kills a vampire who fails to find their fated mate. Now Jonathan has developed it himself and is desperate for a cure. He loved his creator deeply and has struggled with commitment ever since she left and his last relationship ended.
Felicity Sorrow comes from a family of vampire hunters, but she's only permitted to serve as a scribe. She was hiding in a cupboard the night a vampire killed her parents, and she's been quietly burning to avenge them ever since. Now she's working on a museum exhibit about vampires, using artifacts her family collected over generations—including an illuminated manuscript that may hold the cure Jonathan needs.
He's assigned to watch her. He's not supposed to make contact. But he can't stay away—and when he's near her, all he can think about is her blood.
His plan: get close, earn her trust, then steal the manuscript and the artifacts out from under her. What he doesn't plan for is that she might be his fated mate.

What Worked
The World-Building Holds Up This is book three in a series and I hadn't read the previous two. I understood enough to enjoy it fully, though I suspect there's additional depth and context I missed. That said, it works as a standalone entry point—a testament to how well the world is constructed.
The Slow Burn Has Real Tension The pacing of the romance is well done. There are enough moments of connection and crackling tension to keep you invested as they move toward the fated mate reveal. The slow build feels earned rather than padded.
Felicity's Epiphany Lands Her realization that she's been painting all vampires with the same brush—judging them as soulless monsters based on one traumatic night—is a genuinely good character moment. It doesn't feel forced. It feels like someone who's been carrying grief and anger finally having the clarity to see past it.
The Length is Just Right I read this in an evening. It's well-paced, not bloated, and moves efficiently through the story without skipping the moments that matter. More books should be this length.
One Good Sex Scene Done Well The heat level is appropriate—one real scene toward the end that feels earned by everything that built up to it.

What Frustrated Me
Jonathan's Stubbornness Stretches Credibility This is my main sticking point. Jonathan knows that finding his fated mate will cure his mate atrophy. He knows that tasting his mate's blood accelerates the disease. He does both—and still refuses to acknowledge Felicity as his mate until the final chapters. The emotional reasons are understandable (his creator, his past heartbreak, his fear), but the logic strains when the alternative is literal death. It kept me slightly frustrated for a large portion of the book.
Felicity Can Be Careless She's a likable heroine and I genuinely enjoyed getting to know her, but there are moments where her impulsiveness reads as careless rather than brave. Small criticism, but it pulled me out of the story occasionally.
The Fated Mate Resolution Comes Very Late The payoff doesn't arrive until the last couple of chapters. Given how central the mate atrophy is to the entire plot, it would have been satisfying to have a little more time with them in that resolved space before the ending.

Final Thoughts
The Vampire's Guide to Wooing a Creator is a well-crafted paranormal romance with a genuinely interesting premise, good tension, and two characters worth following. Jonathan's emotional stubbornness is frustrating in a way that feels intentional but occasionally goes too far—when death is on the table, his resistance needed a slightly stronger justification. Still, the world is compelling, the pacing is excellent, and Felicity's character arc is satisfying.

I'm now planning to go back and read the first two books, especially if they're the same length and pace. This one made me want more of this world.

Best for: Paranormal romance readers who enjoy fated mates, vampire mythology with real stakes, and a slow burn that pays off. Can be read without the previous books, though series context would add depth.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️ - Generous…. I honestly would have DNF’d this if I hadn’t received an ARC copy. Plus, I didn’t see any other reviews so I wanted to have something honest and helpful to contribute.

The concept is good. If it could have been executed a little differently, this could be a great book. The vampire hunter with a heart set on revenge for the last 10 years meets a vampire. Develops an unlikely friendship with him where she needs his help to find her parents killer. Turns out their time together helps her see that vampires do, in fact, have a conscience, and her family has just been murdering them all without knowing if they actually deserved it. Eventually, Jonathan realizes she is his fated mate and they need to bond to save his life from mate sickness. All of this sounds like a great time, right?!

I enjoyed their time together once they started working together. They had good banter, a palpable connection. Those times were enjoyable.

Some issues for me personally…the beginning was slow. It took me forever to get into it. The flashbacks of memories were not inserted smoothly. It felt like it was just pasted into the middle of a page without thought or transition. Every time. There were MANY choppy jumps in the story that made me pause so I could understand what was going on.

Some of the wording and phrasing was awkward. I overlooked it at first because this is a time period story and I contributed it to that. Then they actually “got together” and it was so awkward and cringy that my face couldn’t help but scrunch, even though I’m all alone. 🥴

Here’s some examples:

“He walked to the settee, sat down, spread his legs, and stroked himself. “Come here so I can plunge into that sweet quim.”

“The tightness of her sheath”

Lastly, Jonathan was so obsessed with his maker, Marguerite. The first 75% of the book…ok, I understand. He loved her. She meant a lot to him. He knew her for many years. It was a special relationship. I get all that. And I was ok with it for the first 75% of the book or so.

BUT - then he was with Felicity. Realized she was his mate, took her bed, took her virginity, mentioned that he “shouldn’t love her, then left her alone to go drink himself silly, and talking about his great love of Marguerite. So slimy! Ugh! I was disgusted how he kept going on about Marguerite. I don’t think he deserved Felicity after that. It was a shame because their banter and his reluctant care for Felicity during their time working together was good. Then this…gross.

Ok that is all. Maybe I should mention this is the first book I’ve read of this author.

*Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC copy!*

[The Lit]

🚨 SPOILER ALERT: READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
​I am giving The Vampire’s Guide to Wooing a Curator by Melissa Kendall a 2-star review. ⭐⭐
​I have to be honest: I had to force myself to finish this one because I really don’t like DNFing books I’ve been given as ARCs. It was a bit of a struggle to get to the final page.
​A sincere thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Melissa Kendall for the opportunity to read this ARC. All opinions are strictly my own.
​The Review
​The story follows Felicity, a museum curator who finds herself entangled with Jonathan, a vampire with a mysterious agenda. Sorry to say that though I usually love vampire stories and paranormal romance, something here just didn't fully connect for me. Even with the inclusion of favorite tropes like enemies-to-lovers and fated mates, the spark I was looking for just wasn't there.
​The Good
​The historical setting and the museum backdrop provided an interesting atmosphere for a paranormal tale. Felicity is technically a "good" FMC—she is dedicated to her work and has a clear sense of duty. The concept of a curator being wooed by an ancient vampire is a fun premise that had a lot of potential.
​The Not So Good
​The biggest hurdle for me was the character connection. I couldn't relate to Felicity in any way, despite her strengths, and I just didn't fall for the MMC, Jonathan. Without that emotional buy-in for the couple, the romance felt a bit flat, making the pacing feel much slower than it actually was

[Elly Christmas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC from Dragonblade Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I wanted to like this, I really did. It had my historical romance, vampires, fated mates, and smart FMC all in one package. The premise is there, but the execution was the issue. I felt nothing for these characters. I could not connect with them—Johnathan, the vampire, who is supposed to be mature and able to control his emotions. But, to me, he did not seem that way at all. His behavior did not come off as that of an older, more refined vampire. His banter with Felicity was okay.

I'm not fond of Felicity either. Her desire to live and stay with her family was quickly shelved at the end. Everything got wrapped up quickly with a bow. I was utterly disappointed.

I felt no real connection between the characters either. Their romance wasn't entirely convincing to me. I felt more lust than actual feelings on Johnathan's part. That could just be how, after the deed, he went down, had some drinks, and thought about Marguerite, which was written. For him to do that after knowing that Felicity is his fated mate, and he just took her virginity. Wow. That was a neon sign.

[TheRedBookBox · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Vampire's Guide to Wooing a Curator by Melissa Kendall - This is the third and possibly last installment of the Fated Vampire Mates series. While there are characters who still don’t have a Fated Mate, this book does finish out the story of the vampire nest’s mysterious maker, as well as tie up the loose ends from the previous two books. While I feel like the author put in enough background to read this book as a stand alone, if you have any interest in reading the other two books in the series, you should read those first. This book had a strong thriller element, with several narrow escapes and mysteries to solve. Like the author’s other books, it’s fast paced, so the book keeps your attention and is a quick read. I very much enjoyed the spicy scenes, and the torment the MMC Jonathan went through when he was trying to resist the mating bond. This book has been released and I recommend it!

Thank you Melissa Kendall and DragonBlade Publishing for the Advanced Reader’s Copy!

Notes:
-Enemies to Lovers
-Open door spicy scenes
-Blood drinking
-On page deaths
-Fight scenes
-Some gore

[Kalin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an entertaining historical paranormal/fantasy book and a really fun take on the fated mates trope. It made me nostalgic for the early 2000s when I’d grab a romance novel at the store and devour it over a day or two. Not to mention that Vampire x Hunter is always going to bring Buffy to mind!

The two main characters are great.
I really enjoyed that Jonathan was sassy and not just a big sexy brute. And Felicity was clever enough to get the better of him more than once.

It’s a short read, so the character arcs have to move along pretty quickly, but we still got to see the characters working together in a variety of scenes. The evolution of their feelings made sense even though it was fast.

I’d definitely like to read others in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advanced Reader Copy.

[Veronica Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book started off a little slow, but once it picked up, the story really took off. It was an enjoyable read with a shocking ending that kept me engaged. Overall, I thought it was a good story with an interesting concept and strong moments throughout.

I especially liked the idea of the vampire “nest” functioning like a family and the way they cared for one another. That dynamic added depth to the story and made the relationships feel meaningful.

I would have loved more background information about the characters, especially Jonathan. I was very curious about his past and how he became a vampire. Exploring the characters in greater detail would have made the story even more compelling.

[Erin Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I haven’t read a historical romance in quite some time and I’ve forgotten how fun they are. Pure escapism at its finest. Vampires are a weakness of mine so this story ticked all of my boxes. It flowed well, had some good spicy moments, and wrapped everything up neatly at the end. This is the third book of the series but can easily be read as a standalone. This is the first book by this author that I’ve read but I will definitely be reading more of their works. Their writing style is addictive and easy to read. I got lost in the story immediately. Highly recommend.

[Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

dnf, i despised the ml and didn't want to deal with him anymore, which is a shame cause i really loved felicity.

i also may or may not have flipped to the back and been pissed off by the ending...

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

--------
okay, i actually finished it, and while i still didn't love the mmc and loved the fmc a little less, it was ok. a bit short, but fun. still don't love the ending.

[Debbie Ballard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading the spellbinding and mesmerizing paranormal story. When Jonathan, the vampire, was tasked with observing Felicity, a vampire hunter, he wanted to spend more time with Felicity. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written full of captivating characters, and a must read riveting romance story.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I jumped in on this volume because I'm a sucker for museum related books, even though they'll probably annoy me professionally. The good news is that this is an historical, so any issues with modern museum standards is moot.

Felicity is putting together an exhibit to prove that vampires exist and some of the nobility are actually vampires! The vampires won't allow it, so they send Jonathan, a thief who's in love with his missing maker, to stop it. They have some chemistry. They have some fights. They almost kiss. Very awkward for Felicity, who is also a vampire hunter. More things happen.

The less good news is that this is book three and I had a lot of catching up to do. Felicity, our FMC, has a lot of history with vampires, and I suspect she was a side character is book 1 or 2. The author did give me enough to catch up with, though it was a bit much.

I'm intrigued by the lore and world building in this book, but the rest was sort of forgettable. I finished this a couple of weeks ago and I enjoyed it well enough, but none of the emotional beats stuck with me. I do like that Felicity is scrappy and able to fight, in addition to being brainy.

Overall, okay but the other volumes won't make my TBR.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Melissa Kendall]

Content warnings: https://melissakendall.ca/cw

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jonathan Drake is a thief and a vampire. The only woman he ever loved, his maker, left the nest fifty-six years ago. He is not interested in finding his fated mate, even though it will cause his eventual death. He fills his time stealing vampire artifacts to get them back to their rightful owners and keep them out of the hands of humans. Felicity Sorrow is the assistant curator at a museum that happens to have some vampire artifacts. She is also a sort of vampire hunter. She seeks to avenge her parents who were killed by vampires by exposing their existence to the public. When Jonathan attempts to steal a valuable manuscript, Felicity recognizes him as a vampire and blasts him with a bit of ancient magic that may or may not have worked the way it was supposed to. This is another unusual and entertaining story in the Fated Mates Series. There is danger (isn’t there always when vampires are around), some confusion, and an interesting enemies-to-lovers romance with a melodramatic hero, and a woman who sees as nothing but trouble. Wouldn’t you know it, she is his fated mate. How is this going to work?
I received an ARC of this book via Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Dragonblade Publishing for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

He steals vampire artefacts in order to give them back to the rightful owners. She collects vampire artefacts and is a wannabe vampire hunter.

It was lovely seeing their two worldviews change together.