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The Loch & Key #1

Risking Immortality

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Amelia Loch has a secret…
She knows humanity’s prejudices against her kind are little more than delusional nightmares. Born, not made, vampires have been forced into the shadows by human ignorance. In any case, the Loch family, like many vampire clans, has thrived over the centuries. Building a successful business empire of bars and nightclubs means that their wealth and influence allows them to move around, easily remaining hidden in plain sight to avoid human suspicion. The bookwormish heiress, Amelia Loch, has thus never struggled to maintain a safe distance from the humans who vilify her species—and everyone else for that matter. But the time has come for Amelia to step out of the shadows, and the stakes have never been higher.
If Amelia doesn’t find her soulmate by the time the sun sets on her thirtieth birthday, she risks a descent into eternal madness. The fate of an unmated vampire is worse than death, both for the vamp and their family, who would be left no choice but to end their suffering.
Enter Erin, a feisty blonde bartender who captures Amelia’s attention and challenges her beliefs. Erin is everything Amelia had hoped for, except for one small she’s human. Though it’s uncertain if a vampire and a human can successfully bond, Erin may be Amelia’s only hope. In a race against time, will love be enough to defy centuries of prejudice and prevent Amelia’s descent into darkness?
Amelia must decide if she can trust Erin with her truth, her heart—and her immortality.

361 pages, Paperback

Published March 10, 2025

180 people are currently reading
1131 people want to read

About the author

Alyson Root

24 books233 followers
Alyson was born and raised in the heart of England. She moved to Paris in 2015 when she met her wife. Together they moved to the west of France where they now live with their two dogs and pet bird. Alyson spends her time running a small campsite and holiday home. During her off time, she loves to read lesbian romance books, write and Scuba Dive.

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5 stars
340 (43%)
4 stars
253 (32%)
3 stars
142 (17%)
2 stars
44 (5%)
1 star
11 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
Profile Image for KT.
200 reviews15 followers
April 7, 2025
Super wattpad-y (which is most of the time ok) which in this case meant lots of smirking, winking and a subpar first person POV. First person is hard to get right, and this wasn't the exception I'm afraid.

For a good chunk of the beginning there was an uncomfortable dynamic where one of the leads is in a relationship and the other is courting her actively and trying to steal her. This probably happens in real life dating but it's not for me. Kudos for a creative take on vampires, but the rest of it was not much to write home about. By the end of it I'm not even sure what the conflict was.

There is something to be said for the fact that I didn't DNF it and finished it quickly. The quest for a good sapphic vampire romance continues.
Profile Image for Jenna Hartley.
23 reviews
December 19, 2024
I wanted to love this, I really did, unfortunately we don’t get everything we want 🤷🏼‍♀️

The writing style wasn’t for me, too much telling and not enough showing, the dialogue changed from page to page and it was distracting.

But such a cool premise, and lesbian vampires so… 2.5 rounded up to 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Profile Image for Morgan.
229 reviews12 followers
December 12, 2024
Forget everything you know about vampires, because Alyson Root is going to turn it on its head in Risking Immortality. Vampires are born, not made; they don’t drink human blood; and, in order to reach their full potential and become immortal, they must find and bond with their soulmate before they turn 30. If they aren’t able to find their mate in time they’ll go mad, and no vampire has returned from that madness.

The story begins on Amelia Loch’s 29th birthday. As the third of seven siblings in one of the oldest and most influential vampiric families, she’s the only one (except the youngest) who hasn’t found their mate. Her family is terrified they’ll lose her, and her siblings are determined to help their beloved sister find her mate no matter what it takes. Through Amelia’s eyes, we venture out into the world of vampires and right into one of the clubs she owns to celebrate her birthday and, her family hopes, find her mate. It’s here that we get our meet cute, with Amelia seeing Erin for the first time, and she just can’t resist teasing her a bit. The connection is instant and Amelia is drawn to the feisty bartender, but there’s one problem: Erin is human.

The vampire community is wonderfully accepting and romantic, and Amelia’s family embodies that, with her caring parents and (mostly) supportive siblings. I think I fell in love with Erin myself through Amelia’s eyes, and I couldn’t get enough of Lucille, the sister Amelia loves to hate. The banter between the two sisters, and between Amelia and Erin, is top notch. The resulting adventure is fun, with a little angst and a lot of spice. I loved every minute, and I can’t wait for what comes next!
16 reviews
October 31, 2025
Fun and funny

This was a fun read. It is more a fast burn but weirdly enough it didn’t feel like it? The characters fully acknowledged they were moving fast but it still all felt somewhat natural and believable. And it has perfect mix of spice, angst and romance. There was also a good amount of humor that kept it light hearted and gave me a few chuckles.
Profile Image for Heather.
752 reviews12 followers
August 27, 2024
4.5 ⭐️ Very cool take on vampires! This sapphic romance between a vampire and a human is very different from other vampire books I’ve read which made the book even more interesting for me.

Do you believe in soulmates? Well in this amazing book a vampire’s main purpose is to find their soulmate by their 30th birthday or have detrimental consequences. Our story begins on the MC’s 29th birthday. She’s basically given up finding her mate but her family most definitely has not. She’s also not too fond of humans due to their nature of persecuting those they deem different. It’s an ugly meet-cute (kind of) meeting and our vampire can’t smell that the person she’s amused by is human. Why? Read and find out!! It’s quite the journey and worth every page. Oh and we find out that there are two more books coming in early 2025!! I can’t wait!! Hope others read and enjoy this book as much as I did!
Profile Image for Lorraine Rusnack.
1,130 reviews33 followers
September 18, 2024
All for love

This is a fascinating take on a vampire love story. Amelia feels she is doomed to never finding her mate. Erin is human and has no idea she works for a vampire. As the two try to resist each other fate has other plans for Amelia and Erin. This is a book you will want to devour. It is romantic and super hot all while trying to save this couple and making sure the bond between them is secure. I can't wait for their next story.
Profile Image for K Cao Xai.
18 reviews1 follower
January 15, 2026
This is not a review because I DNF, but I wanted to tell you the reasons why.

DNF At:
39%

WHAT I LIKED SO FAR:
The book cover is gorgeous, and the vampire lore is interesting.

REASONS I DNF:
The lead couple has no chemistry. The idea that they're fated mates/soulmates and meant to be together comes off as an excuse to just have them lust over one another without them actually building a connection, or getting to know each other.

Mack is obviously hurt and not comfortable with Erin and Amelia dating. If they were going to just date anyway, current girlfriends be damned, why have Mack as an obstacle? She's a good person. Why didn't Erin just break up with her first and let her find someone else?

The idea Erin and Amelia agree to date despite Mack still being in the picture is off-putting, and doesn't make me want to root for them to be together if they're going to screw over an innocent woman (who's probably going to be made into a villain just to give Erin a justified reason to cut her off.)

Amelia keeps saying she's going to win Erin's heart, but she does nothing. Her family and sister, Lucille, put more effort into getting her to date Erin than she does.

The pacing is too quick so I never had time to feel what was happening. In two sentences, Amelia and Erin's first date was summed up and told rather than shown, so I didn't feel they got to know each other at all.

All I know about Erin is she's a bartender and doesn't mind dating two people at once, which is so icky for me. All I know about Amelia is she could die without Erin, is rich, and thinks flirting is just showing up in sexy outfits rather than actually flirting.

Again, I stress, the leads have a lack of chemistry. Being soulmates does not mean skipping the parts where they should be falling in love.

I had no reason to root for these two to be together. I'd rather root for Mack to get a cat and live happily without their drama.
Profile Image for Hunter Athena.
103 reviews4 followers
June 24, 2025
That certainly was a book….barely. I hate to say it but reading this novel felt very much like the author took her wattpad writings and just self published it as a book. It had a really unique take on vampires which was fun, I just unfortunately found the writing so dull and boring. It did not captivate me and the book was lacking in a real conflict to add depth to it. I’m rather sad now as I own the other two books in the series and I’m not sure if I can bring myself to finish the series?

I will say I did enjoy how horny the characters were and at least the smut was somewhat fun? If rather mundane in writing.

(And this may be a petty ick but I hate that the books in the series are all different heights 😩)
Profile Image for Lori.
151 reviews
September 1, 2024
Risking Immortality is a unique take on a world in which vampires exist. Amelia is an anti-human vampire whose fated mate is human Erin who doesn't know vampires are real. With only one year left to find and bond with her soulmate before madness takes her, can Amelia get past her prejudice to be with Erin? Will Erin believe vampires are real? Can Amelia and Erin even bond since there are only myths regarding vampire-human bondings? After reading the first few paragraphs of this book, I knew I was going to enjoy finding out the answers.

Amelia's family is there to help whether she wants it or not. Every character is so well written I felt as if I knew each one. Their interactions range from comical to soul searching and are just so true to life. This is a real romance between a vampire and human with the typical hopes, fears, and compromises found in any romantic relationship. I look forward to seeing what's next for Amelia and Erin and the entire Loch family. I wholeheartedly recommend this.

I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Kit.
41 reviews5 followers
April 11, 2025
Something different in vampire stories

I mostly enjoyed this book. The characters feel real, and I love that Amelia's family acts like a family. When I was ready to give her a good talking to, they actually did it! Erin reacts to Amelia's big reveal like people I actually know would.

The writing is stilted, though. I get that the author was probably trying to make Amelia and her family seem more formal, but I'm not sure it worked. But if you can overlook that, I recommend it.
Profile Image for Lisa.
576 reviews8 followers
February 1, 2025
Excellent

This is such a good take on the world of vampires. Loved this story so much that I stopped reading everything else that I was reading because I had to find out how this one ended. A true page-turner. Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Sydney .
240 reviews10 followers
January 19, 2025
I enjoyed this fun new take on vampires. It was quite different from anything I've seen before. I loved the Loch family, especially Lucille. There were too many Lochs though for everyone to be very flushed out, which is unfortunate. Maybe they'll get more time to shine in the next book.

I love the way Amelia's and Erin's romance started with animosity. The chemistry was apparent from the get go, but Amelia's need to be the good guy kept the relationship from developing or progressing for a while. I liked Mack at first, and hoped that Root wouldn't take the shortcut of making her into the bad guy in order to end things with Erin. She would have ended up picking Amelia anyway, there wasn't a need to demonize her that way. Although, honestly Erin asking to date someone else after basically being exclusive for weeks seems a bit shady. I'm just not too happy with that entire plotline.

There is no third act breakup. This is fated mates. There is a bit of drama about getting the bond to form between them, and then what will happen after. I liked that Amelia catastrophized as much as she did, I felt like it made her more human in a way.
Profile Image for fae.reads.
96 reviews1 follower
January 23, 2025
I loved the relationship and the characters. I thought they were well developed in a short space of time.
The different take on vampires and their immortality was really interesting!!
Excited to keep reading about them in book 2 <3
101 reviews1 follower
September 24, 2024
This could be a fun read if you’re looking for a short vampire novel with a twist. The story is a single point of view following Amelia as she and her family, the Lochs, try to find her lifelong mate. Vampires are known to go crazy if they don’t bond with their mate before the age of 30.

Erin is a bartender at one of Amelia’s nightclubs and ends up connecting with Amelia, a connection that leads to them being soulmates. The trouble is that Erin is human and in a relationship. Amelia dislikes humans and finds competing with someone else for Erin’s love challenging. To help Amelia alleviate the side effects of being near Erin without bonding, Amelia needs to be injected with serum shots prescribed by a "vampire doctor".

The family dynamics are entertaining and bickering between Amelia and her sister Lucielle is amusing. Amelia is the 3rd of 7 siblings and they’re all rooting for her to get together with Erin. The plot diverts from the typical vampire stereotype and offers a new perspective on how vampires feed and gain immortality. There’s some good slow-burn spice between Amelia and Erin as they bond.
Profile Image for Rae Rivers.
272 reviews1 follower
October 31, 2024
Interesting premise but just horrifically written.

“SHOW NOT TELL” <——— Please author.





Pros:
-Short.
-Kindle unlimited so I didn’t pay for it.

Cons:
-Worldbuilding is dumped so aggressively in the first chapter, felt like a DND guidebook.
-Cringe romance and horrible pacing.
-Spent forever going to Ireland and then was there like one chapter.
-Casual cheating of the mcs?? Mackenzie is not the villain this book acts like she is.
-Bad power dynamics between mc and her employee lover
-Too many characters, should’ve had less siblings.
-Vampire population size is never really hinted at.
-
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Samantha Holder-Venter.
141 reviews
September 19, 2024
I LOVED this book, so much so that I finished it in a single sitting.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’ve never read anything by Alyson that I didn’t absolutely adore. She is definitely one of my must read authors- if she wrote it I know I’ll love it! I completely fell in love with Erin and Amelia and their love. The way Alyson is able to capture deep emotions on a page leaves me freaking speechless and I cannot get enough of her writing.
1 review
December 2, 2024
Incredible book, completely different point of view of vampires life. Looking forward to reading the sequel. I think the author has waved a loving and down to earth story for a misjudged species, for some, and a place for myths to come to life for others. A different approach and food for thought for the ones that think "all" are possible in this life. Highly recommended for what it is, a well written book with a fresh perspective.
181 reviews3 followers
September 2, 2024
This is a beautiful love story of fated mates in a seemingly impossible yet inevitable union. It is a different take on the usual vampire stereotypes, which was interesting and refreshing. There is emotion, intrigue, angst, romance and steam. The writing is great and the story kept me hooked from start to finish.
532 reviews5 followers
September 7, 2024
SPellbound with 🔥

Loved this novel but for book 2 that's only coming in 2025, now that feels like an eternity to wait. Steamy, sizzling rollercoaster emotions, our fated lovers goes through it all. Can just images the drama thats gonna unfold in book 2. Epic story with a 5🌟 all the way. Dont miss out on a wild fire vampiric mated novel. Im hooked.😉
Profile Image for Grace.
976 reviews12 followers
October 6, 2024
3.5

this book was underwhelming considering it had a very high potential. it did however get me out of my little slump i was in as i read 70% of this book in 2 days so i will give it that.
385 reviews14 followers
December 8, 2024
This was a very enjoyable read. Vampires always cool but these are nothing like in books I have read before besides the hotness factor of course. In this book they live quiet and peaceful and feed on animal blood. They also give birth and do not turn people.

Amelia and Erin so right for each other and their journey to a HEA so fun (and hot) to follow.
74 reviews1 follower
December 11, 2024
Pleasant Surprise

I don’t usually read these types of stories but I love Alyson’s stories so I took a chance and I am so glad I did! Amelia and Erin are amazing-their story is perfect and I can’t wait to get book 2! Thankfully it’s only a couple more weeks away! Get out of your comfort zone and try this book!!
Profile Image for Desiree Russell.
335 reviews8 followers
January 4, 2025
If a vampire has not found their mate by their 30th birthday, they go mad and a family member has to “take care” of the problem. Amelia is a 29 year vampire who has not found her mate and her time is counting down. Erin is a human who works at Amelia’s club, and is also her mate. Erin has no clue that vampires exist and Amelia is not a fan of humans in general.
Profile Image for Suzi Vilkman (Hautaniemi).
287 reviews8 followers
July 22, 2024
Excellent immortals

I didn’t think I could be this excited to read about vampires but it seems this author has reinvented them and the whole concept. Very pleased to see vampires as good characters with good intentions and characteristics. And their love scenes are out of this world!
Profile Image for The Wild Weary Cow Reads Sapphic .
205 reviews11 followers
September 21, 2024
Having to wait till January 2025 for book 2???? Come on!!. 😂

This book is so funny and sexy, it's the perfect mix as far as I'm concerned. I flew through it. I'm a sucker for sexy humour and this book is filled with it lol . As always Alyson Root's writing is top notch. You won't be disappointed
214 reviews1 follower
October 21, 2024
Great and well paced

Thank you Alyson for a touching story with fantastic character development. Both woman came across believable and I enjoyed the way their relationship started and slowly grew. Can't wait for part 2.
Profile Image for 3DKing.
285 reviews1 follower
September 6, 2024
The beginning feels a little bit messy. Second and third act are a very cute journey of Amelia being a angsty disaster and Erin being supportive and just great.
1 review1 follower
January 2, 2025
Great Vampire Concept

Definitely a new take on vampires with this read. Not your classic vampire stereotype. Plus adds an lgbtqai+ element into the story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews

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