A Hunger Soft and Wild

Her Fangs in My Heart #1

by Moira Darling

A dangerous mercenary. A runaway vampire. A hunger neither can resist.

Aria Valienne spent her life under the iron rule of a vampire clan who sees mercy as weakness. Now hunted, wounded, and desperate for freedom, she flees into the wild—only to be found by a hardened mercenary with sharp eyes and an even sharper blade. Roan should be just another danger in a world that seeks to devour her, yet something about the woman makes Aria hesitate…and hunger.

Roan Talrik knows better than to get involved. She’s spent years selling her sword, keeping her past buried and her heart untouched. Helping a runaway vampire is a mistake—one that should have ended the moment Aria could stand on her own. And yet, every night by the fire, every stolen glance, every quiet confession sinks its teeth into Roan’s resolve.

When the shadows catch up to them, will they survive the hunt—or will they be forced to sacrifice everything for a love they never meant to find?

♥ ♥ ♥

A Hunger Soft and Wild is a standalone steamy sapphic vampire romantasy with a full arc and a HEA. It's part of an interconnected world, but can be enjoyed on its own. Some tropes you'll find

Slow BurnHurt/ComfortTouch Her and DieOnly Soft for HerOne BedButch/Femme

Genres: Lesbian, Vampires, Fantasy, Paranormal, LGBT, Romance, Romantasy

295 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 5, 2025

About the author

Hi! I'm Moira Darling (she/her), and I write sapphic romantasy full of slow-burning love that refuses to die quietly. A Hunger Soft and Wild is my debut novel, born from a lifelong obsession with gothic forests, tragic monsters, and women who would burn the world for each other.

I live in a tiny yellow house with my favorite person and too many mugs. When I’m not writing emotionally wounded sword lesbians and their feral vampire girlfriends, I’m probably drinking coffee, making dramatic playlists, or pretending my TBR isn’t glaring at me from the corner of the room.

Thanks for being here—it’s an honor to share my stories with you!

Reviews

[COURTZ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best sapphic romance book I’ve read so far! I love how devoted the characters are, the way the author shows their trust for each other. I read it within a few hours! I wish there was more romance and cute moments but still loced reading it!

[Unpopmary · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very excited for the release of this book—the blurb seemed intriguing enough that I decided to give it a try. However, aside from the use of the insta-love trope, the story ultimately fell short. It would have been more engaging if the author had further developed both the worldbuilding and the characters, as I felt there was little growth or change throughout the story. As for the romance, as I mentioned, I'm not a fan of fast-paced stories (I'm more into slowburn), which likely contributed to my inability to connect with the characters or feel invested in their relationship.

[Sybrenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ I actually devoured this omgggg. It’s SAPPHIC, vampire x mercenary, close proximity, she protects her, and it just felt so good to read this not gonna lie. The writing was absolutely beautiful and I loved the burn of the romance. Everything felt so intimate and I loved that. Reading this felt like watching a movie with slow music in the background, with lingering looks and soft touches LMFAOOO IDK BRO I LOVED THIS. But then the action part of it too? Stop, this was so good.

[Liberty Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

devoureddddddddd this
i love lesbians and i love vampires and i love forced proximity
🩷

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Hunger Soft and Wild is a fabulous debut novel from Moira Darling. It's a dual POV romance between vampire Aria and mercenary Roan. with a bit of spice late in the game. It jumps into the action right away, then takes us on a slow ride through Aria's healing as the two begin to open up and trust each other, then brings us back into the fray as they run from the vampire enforcers determined to bring Aria back to the clan.

The writing style was right up my alley: flowy and flowery, descriptive and a bit poetic, without being over the top or feeling pretentious, and the editing was super clean, especially for an independently published debut (I usually expect to see more than the handful of errors I did).

I really loved Aria's character, how this "monster" vampire is so caring and gentle. Roan, so prickly on the outside, opened up to Aria and their relationship and desire to protect each other was quite sweet. There aren't many side characters in this story, but I enjoyed Roan's acquaintance/nemesis. I do wish there had been a bit more delving into Aria's past and her clan, and if there was anything more I wanted it was a little more worldbuilding, but it really is a wonderful and well-written story.

4.5 stars rounded up.

I received a free ARC from the author, but my review is unbiased and left voluntarily.

[AeonMetanoia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book. I need myself a Roan AND an Aria. Please and thank you. I’m usually not a huge fan of slow burns, but the way these characters interacted and the way their relationship grew captivated me. Don’t get me started on their practice fighting scene. Swooned!!

Sapphic lovers (especially those who love vampires) run, don’t walk.

[Alamine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The soft kind of love, steadfast,strong, reliable and enduring in a sapphic vampire romance 💕

[Naomi Crowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book truly gave me everything I was hoping for from it! I was lucky enough to receive an ARC from the author but that in no way influenced my thoughts. I loved the development of the relationship between Aria and Roan and getting both perspectives really enhanced that! I just really enjoyed the vibes between like this sheltered vampire and then the hardened mercenary it was so good!! I’m definitely more of a character than a plot reader which I think this book is perfect for because it is all about Aria and Roan and their developing romance, there’s not so much of a strong overarching plot (which I’m not mad at because it gave so much time to their relationship). There was so much yearning in this book which is one of my absolute favorite things from a romance. I was also kicking my feet and twirling my hair every time their hands touched for a second too long or they lingered when applying a bandage. My only critique is that I wish we would’ve gotten more time with each of the characters before they met each other, which I think would’ve set up their motivations and individual characters a bit more. Overall this was a super enjoyable, hot read! At the end of the day it’s sapphic fantasy and you can’t beat that in my book

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

This debut novel is a slow burn romantasy, heavy on the yearning for the main FMCs. Some of the tropes are: touch her and die, one bed, close proximity, and a slight touch of instalove.

I was impressed with the character and relationship building between the 2 FMC. Aria is a born vampire princess, and Roan is a sword for hire mercenary. This is a super slow burn, but it's worth the wait. Their dance and acquaintance to lovers is well done.

A few things I wasn't as fond of or that could have been expanded on: vampire capabilities, use of last names which aren't really introduced when the main characters meet. I know there are 2 types of vampires (born and turned), but outside of the aversion to sunlight by one type, I had a hard time believing the fight scenes between mortal and supernatural.

As a whole, I would easily recommend this book for anyone who loves slow, simmer to eventual 🔥 burn. Also, for those who would be willing to die for their dark ❤️ love. I didn't let my personal distractions take away from final thoughts on this book.

I was given an advanced copy for an honest review!

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am immediately drawn in by the first scene, in which we see Aria running for her life. The writing style is poetic, descriptive, and immersive. Most of the novel is slow-paced with a few poignant action scenes. There is minimal dialogue and a significant amount of internal monologue. It appears to be the author's intention that the sparse use of dialogue serves to convey heavy meaning—each word important and deliberate—and that the majority of the narrative focuses on the gradual development of a deep bond between the two main characters. This is absolutely a romance. The relationship is central to the plot, which includes very few supporting characters.

Things I like:
• The writing style. Dual POV. Focus on emotions.
• Tropes: forced proximity, only one bed, opposites attract, butch/femme, mutual possessiveness, touch-her-and-die, slow-burn sapphic romance, fantasy setting with vampires
• Great tension-filled and tender moments. I also really enjoyed some particularly sensual and intimate moments.
• Sweet epilogue
• The cover and the title

Things I didn't like:
• I would have liked more backstory on our main characters.
• I found the action scenes and survival strategy difficult to believe.
• The primary villain felt somewhat caricatured, and the antagonists overall were weaker than expected.
• Although I initially enjoyed the writing style, it eventually became tedious, with certain words and phrases recurring too frequently.

All of that being said, I enjoyed the story, and I recommend it if romantasy, heavy on the slow-burn romance, is your thing. Those sensual moments I mentioned turned up the heat and I appreciate how well they were done.
I am giving this one 3.5 stars rounded up. I would read more by this author.
#romantasy #slowburn #oppositesattract #butchfemme #vampires #epilogue #forcedproximity #onlyonebed #touchheranddie #HEA
I received a free ARC from the author. This is my honest opinion.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sapphic Vampires? Yes please!

4.5⭐️ Well done sapphic romance featuring vampires and mercenaries. I loved both Aria and Roan. Aria was so sweet and determined to be different than her upbringing (yay!). It was a pleasure to see how she developed and grew into herself. Roan was loyal from the start. There connection was pretty much instant and continued to flourish throughout the story. Well paced, exciting and filled with emotions and tenderness. I loved their story and look forward to reading more from this author!

[maela · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was so much fun, gave me all the classic romantasy feels! highly recommend

[marr;་༘࿐ · Rating 3 out of 5]

como extrañaba devorar un libro en menos de un díaaa. Medio que esa forma de resolver el problema y enfrentar a la villana fue muy 🌈el poder del amor🌈, pero buenoooo igual los disfruto mucho

[Jav Elin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another generic fantasy. Writing is unremarkable-this really reminds me of another author I can't put my finger on. But I've heard this style and pacing before. The details that would bring this to life aren't there. The characters are one dimensional and dialogue boring. Premise would have been cool if they could have pulled it off.

[Candace Aresfury · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, this was just ok. At first I was really into it, when Roan found Aria I was like, ok, yeah, let’s have some action, here we go….but then no. Literally 50% of the book they are IN ONE SPOT in the woods. Enforcers are hunting them, Aria is sure of it, but they never leave the same spot!!! Huh?! Someone’s hunting me, I’m damn well going to keep moving and make it hard for them to find me. I get that our characters needed this time to fall for the very fast paced insta-love trope but ugh, it was frustrating for the whole story to be in one place for so long. The last half of the book picked up the pace but almost too fast cause now we need a resolution to all of this. All that being said, I did like the characters, they were sweet and I liked their romance. I would have liked a little more depth and world building but for a fast easy read, this was good.

[Britni MacDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5
I received an ARC of A Hunger Soft and Wild, and I knew from the dedication this book would be for me. Why yes, I dreammmm of being ruined by a vampire regularly…

While I am not generally a big fan of a slow burn, it was perfect in this story. Realizing that the majority takes place in a relatively short time frame itself was helpful for me. I loved experiencing the blossoming respect and trust between Roan and Aria. Two people, in different ways, running from something for dear life - neither realizing they were running towards each other. Protect them AT ALL COST. I would consider this to be cozy, even with the action. A beautifully wrapped HEA. I couldn’t ask for much more from this book. Thank you for the opportunity!

Hopefully this author continues in this universe. I’d be very interested in stories about Lysara and Selis!

**Updating with an audiobook review**

Wow! Wow!! Okay, so I do like to credit my starting appreciation for a slow crawl, angsty romantasy entirely to this book. When I saw that Allie Shae would be one of the narrators for this audiobook, I nearly hyperventilated. I am familiar with her work with the Court of Chains series and I have gotten very use to her voice connecting to those characters…Allie Shae as Aria was just breathtaking!! I knew that Ms. Moira had a way with words, but hearing them in a voice that is not mine just refueled this love of a really well written yearning. The narrator for Roan, was also very good in my opinion with relaying the vulnerability within Roan. While she may be a badass mercenary, she is textured and layered and you can feel that throughout this audiobook. I can’t wait to listen to this over and over again!

[Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new sapphic vampire/human romance to add to your collection.

Aria is a vampire on the run, under attack from her clan for daring to defy orders. Alone, afraid, and bleeding out, she finds a place where she might be safe for the night and settles in. When she can't stay awake any longer, she passes out and is left to the mercy of the night.

Roan is a mercenary, alone and between jobs, when she stumbles upon a young woman bleeding and unconscious, on the brink of death. Her instincts tell her to turn away because helping her will only bring trouble, but she can't find it in herself to leave the woman there to die. She doesn't realize that by choosing to help, her life will never be the same.

I love the softness that we see, even in the midst of violence. There's an attraction that Roan and Aria can't deny, even as the tension builds while they wait to be discovered. Their time is limited, but they slowly begin to open up to each other. The closer they become, the harder things will get when Aria's clan comes calling.

This book has so many of my favorite tropes. Roan is every inch the "touch her and die" love interest. While the world gets her cold, hard persona, Aria sees another side of her, the gentle, kind nature she's capable of. When trouble comes calling, Roan's soft side is nowhere to be seen. She'll let the world burn before allowing Aria to be lost to her.

Their feelings morph gradually, and the tension between them is palpable. It makes the confession so much sweeter, and when they finally give in, it's so worth the wait! It adds a little spice to the drama, and it's done very well.

I absolutely recommend this book, it was so good!

*I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

[Darcy Bea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me hooked from the first page! The author has such a beautiful way with words which helped make the story more vivid and immersive.

I loved strong, serious but sincere Roan and Aria with her fragile determination and hope for something more than darkness. This was a slow burn done right - each scene showed their blossoming trust in each other and a yearning for something more that they dared not voice.

The threat of the clan loomed throughout the book to give moments of tension and a satisfying conclusion but the author gave breathing room for the shift, vulnerable moments in firelight between Roan and Aria.

I loved the writing style and characters and highly recommend this! I'll be keeping my eye out for more from Moira Darling!

*Honest review given in exchange for an ARC*

[Natalie Budnyk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Needs an editor

I really wanted to like this but it definitely needed professional editor. The amount of times I read “settled like a stone” or “smelled of something uniquely her” was very amateurish.

There’s almost no world building beyond some vague mentions of generic horrors from the past, and the main conflict gets tied up in a convenient, lackluster little bow within a few pages at the end. I usually forgive this when there’s really good smut or at least banter, but it took 60% of the book for anything at all to happen between the two main characters, and the banter is so stereotypical that it doesn’t even feel in character. The romance and smut scenes are really good though in a way that feels like there probably should have been more of them because that’s what this writer knows how to do.

I do think this could be a really good book if there was a more complex story to thread through all of the lesbian longing.

[Issy Waldrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A vampire fleeing an abusive clan, and a wandering mercenary who happens upon her and is drawn to help - this is Aria and Roan's story, and for the first half it is very much character driven as their relationship starts to form, and they slowly learn about each other. It ramps up in the second half, especially the hunt resumes in earnest, but that also allows them to blossom the most. The feeding scene is very well done (it's a vampire story - they're a must ^^), and honestly the spice is as well.

Overall, it's a very enjoyable story, wraps up well, and I look forward to seeing more books by the author.

[Elena Hect · Rating 3 out of 5]

A whirlwind romance between a scarred butch mercenary and a runaway vampire lady - I disagree with the Slow Burn content warning, as while it does take a hundred and seventy pages for them to kiss, they're thinking about it within days of encountering each other with a dual POV confirming it's mutual. This is more a hefty amount of mutual pining in character study, and the outside world seems to intrude only as an afterthought of 'plot needs to stress test their affection for each other'. Regardless, hot vampire lesbian sex and the moment of pinning someone when wrestling on the ground and then realizing your position? Near and dear to my heart. I'll definitely read more of Darling's writing, and I see another book is predicted for next month...

[Lena · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story starts out quite interesting. Vampire Aria is running away from her life and comes across mercenary Roan. There's instant attraction, and their relationship develops in a quite interesting manner. They hardly know each other, yet they are driven by their attraction and need to protect one another.

I liked that the story is more character driven, rather than world building. There's some of the most popular tropes along the story: insta-love, one bed, touch her die.

The plot built around the relationship of the main characters is interesting. Threats and turmoil, but luckily, there's a happy ending.

ETA: also listened to the audiobook and it makes everything SO MUCH BETTER!

[Lottitude · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved reading this book! It started with Aria who is on the run for her clan and soon she meets the mercenary Roan, who was looking for a new job. With the dual POV, you will get to know both of them very good. The writer had such a nice writing style and I loved both FMC's, with their unique characters. I really liked the slow burn and the 'touch her and die' vibes. The story has good character and relationship building, a little less world building but I didn't mind.

There isn't much plot (aside from the getting away from Aria's clan) or side quests, but that makes it a really nice, easy to read, sapphic fantasy story. And I would love to read more from this author!

[Shannon bagnall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know how to explain it but something was missing from the book, I don’t know what but it just felt incomplete but not at the end.

The story was good, I enjoyed learning about the characters. I was baffled at why aria didn’t feed of the enforcers once they were down I know she said she wouldn’t feed on humans but they aren’t and the mum said in the end vampire blood can heal

Roan was a great character, she had so much love but was so scared to share it because of past hurt and aria it seems never knew real love so when it came she didn’t know how to deal with it

Overall I did enjoy the book, in some places it was a little slow but it did need the slow parts to complete the story.

*full disclosure I was given this book by the author Moira Darling in exchange for an honest review*

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 stars

I stumbled across this story by chance and didn’t read the blurb, so this ended up being my first sapphic novel 😝 But honestly, it wouldn’t have made a difference if the main character had been a man 😆. The plot, unfortunately, wasn’t very coherent and had major gaps, and the attraction between the two characters didn’t feel logical either.

That said, it was such a quick read that I finished it in a single day on vacation. However, I wouldn’t read it again, the characters felt too flat, and so did the story.

[Monna · Rating 5 out of 5]

“A Hunger Soft and Wild: A Sapphic Vampire Romantasy” is exactly what the name implies and so much more. I was expecting a vampire story with two lesbians. Nope, that’s not what this is. This is the full-bodied romance between a hardened mercenary “sell sword” and a runaway vampire princess. Roan, the mercenary, comes across Aria, a beautiful and severely wounded young woman, in some abandoned ruins. Roan takes it upon herself to help Aria by tending her wound. Little by little Aria’s tale comes out, as does Roan’s. Back and forth the story goes with each character revealing more of themselves and their principles. Then the bad guys descend upon them and they are hard pressed to not only stand fast and survive but also to prove they deserve to survive. They don’t have it easy, but they both prove that honor and courage can overcome.

[MolaMolaAndCats · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for what it was but I would have liked more depth to the characters, their relationship, and especially the world building. The ending felt both sudden and very much against all previous characterization of the baddie

[JLK · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book stole my heart because of Roan. I am a sucker for the masc, protective, hard and soft FMC. Roan fits all that and more. It's a dual POV and Aria is also the perfect femme, strong and loving. This was my first Moira Darling book and it got me hooked. Short and easy read.

[cloud_9_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Moira Darling offered me the chance to listen to an ALC of her debut sapphic romantasy, I IMMEDIATELY jumped on board. I fell in love with A Hunger Soft and Wild when I first read it, but hearing it performed took that love to an entirely new level.

I thought the narrators Allie Shae and Kingsley Rose did a fantastic job bringing Aria and Roan’s story to life. They captured Aria’s softness and Roan’s steel perfectly, and brought all the tension and vulnerability that made this slow-burn romance even more consuming.

This was already one of my favorite romantasy reads, and now it’s become a favorite audiobook as well. Thank you, Moira Darling, for letting me experience this story all over again!

[Samantha Holder-Venter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazingly well-written debut novel. I fell headfirst into this story and was instantly invested, I couldn’t get enough and I desperately wanted to see where it would take me next! Roan stole my heart from the get-go, all tough on the outside but squishy on the inside while Aria’s hidden strength made me swoon more than once. I thoroughly enjoyed every single page of this book and I highly recommend it!