What do you think?
Rate this book
Guides for Dating Vampires #4
How to Flaunt Your Chains and Surrender a Vein
“What else is this shed for, if not torturing unsuspecting vampires?”
Rahil Zaman has good reason to keep his distance from the world—and his fangs are only part of that. He hides in his crumbling home, acquiring blood through the risky one-night stands he finds on hunter-infested hookup apps. After one such fling turns sour, Rahil ends up trapped in the work shed of the one match he wishes would respond to his flirtations.
Finding the hot twink he’d been ghosting inside his work shed was not on Mercer Bloncourt’s agenda. Between his work as a craftsman and his tumultuous relationship with his chronically-ill daughter, he doesn’t have the time or heart for a relationship. But Rahil is not the only intruding presence in Mercer’s life. A hostile hunter and a manipulative research scientist both insist—on threat of his daughter’s life—that he recreate versions of his ‘holy silver’: a vampire-killing metal forged in the wake of his wife’s murder, bound up in all the grief and destruction he’s striven for years to overcome.
To complicate matters, Rahil is the rare vampire who’s immune to the deadly silver, providing Mercer the perfect lab rat to test a kinder vampire-affecting metal.
As Rahil and Mercer rush to the forge, they must face their past wrongs once more, and in time, discover that no mistake is worth the sentence of eternal loneliness.
Flaunt Your Chains is the fourth novel in a loosely connected series of standalone slowburn mm romance books. It features high thirst with one extensive spice scene toward the third act involving bondage, praise, and sensory play, and a happy ending for the main couple. Content of this book includes migraine, insomnia, and chronic illness rep, a human and a pet experiencing seizures, and grief over the traumatic deaths of family members.
Rahil Zaman has good reason to keep his distance from the world—and his fangs are only part of that. He hides in his crumbling home, acquiring blood through the risky one-night stands he finds on hunter-infested hookup apps. After one such fling turns sour, Rahil ends up trapped in the work shed of the one match he wishes would respond to his flirtations.
Finding the hot twink he’d been ghosting inside his work shed was not on Mercer Bloncourt’s agenda. Between his work as a craftsman and his tumultuous relationship with his chronically-ill daughter, he doesn’t have the time or heart for a relationship. But Rahil is not the only intruding presence in Mercer’s life. A hostile hunter and a manipulative research scientist both insist—on threat of his daughter’s life—that he recreate versions of his ‘holy silver’: a vampire-killing metal forged in the wake of his wife’s murder, bound up in all the grief and destruction he’s striven for years to overcome.
To complicate matters, Rahil is the rare vampire who’s immune to the deadly silver, providing Mercer the perfect lab rat to test a kinder vampire-affecting metal.
As Rahil and Mercer rush to the forge, they must face their past wrongs once more, and in time, discover that no mistake is worth the sentence of eternal loneliness.
Flaunt Your Chains is the fourth novel in a loosely connected series of standalone slowburn mm romance books. It features high thirst with one extensive spice scene toward the third act involving bondage, praise, and sensory play, and a happy ending for the main couple. Content of this book includes migraine, insomnia, and chronic illness rep, a human and a pet experiencing seizures, and grief over the traumatic deaths of family members.
457 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 22, 2025
44 people are currently reading
395 people want to read
About the author
D.N. Bryn
17 books785 followersD.N. Bryn is a queer, disabled author of speculative fiction and fantasy romance.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
Want to read
June 3, 2025I have to read this because the guy on the left looks like Vega from Street Fighter.
June 17, 2025
not the 52-hertz whale 🐋 finding it's 52-hertz whale partner 🐋 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 (google if you need to but this idea was so beautiful and DN Bryn nailed it 🥲🥲)
I AM SO WEAK FOR A SLUTTY LIL PIRATE SHIRT NUMBER 🥵🥵🥵 (psa this book is not about pirates in any way, shape or form, I feel like the cover is so beautiful and I was bamboozled to realise that it's not pirate related at all ahahha)
and like, moan-inducing vampire neck biting is my fave thing about vamp books to be honest AND I GOT THAT
Rahil really just is the best, sweetest lil baby vampire ever.
And I liked how the stories collided, it felt very fate was playing a part-esque.
This felt like a nice mix between super gushy romance, characters with actual depth, family dynamics & trauma, trauma in general and enough interesting plot points to distract me from the mush.
I AM SO WEAK FOR A SLUTTY LIL PIRATE SHIRT NUMBER 🥵🥵🥵 (psa this book is not about pirates in any way, shape or form, I feel like the cover is so beautiful and I was bamboozled to realise that it's not pirate related at all ahahha)
and like, moan-inducing vampire neck biting is my fave thing about vamp books to be honest AND I GOT THAT
Rahil really just is the best, sweetest lil baby vampire ever.
And I liked how the stories collided, it felt very fate was playing a part-esque.
This felt like a nice mix between super gushy romance, characters with actual depth, family dynamics & trauma, trauma in general and enough interesting plot points to distract me from the mush.
December 28, 2025
honestly thank God that this series went back to being good. i was a little hesitant after the 3rd book was ass, but this one returned to form and is my 2nd favorite of the series. it was very emotional and i loved it.
May 25, 2025
How To Flaunt Your Chains follows two single dads who learn there's another chapter in their stories. They both know the comfort of love and the devastation of loss. They understand parts of one another that might be lost on a partner who has never known that kind of trauma. I loved seeing them help each other heal.
My favorite part of this book is how familial love is as integral to the story as romantic attraction. Kids are too often used as a plot device to throw a wrench into a budding romance. Lydia, Mercer's daughter, is far more than a symbol of her father's past. She's a curious, strong-willed girl growing into her independence and managing traumatic upheavals at every turn. I was equally invested in her as I was in the adults.
How To Flaunt Your Chains works well as a standalone, but I think it would help to at least read book three first. I think having that context helped me catch on to the dark implications of errant research more quickly. I also just thought it was neat to see where this story intersects with the previous one. I'm excited to see how the others overlap.
Thanks so much to the author for the chance to check out an advance copy of this book. I'm leaving this review of my own accord.
My favorite part of this book is how familial love is as integral to the story as romantic attraction. Kids are too often used as a plot device to throw a wrench into a budding romance. Lydia, Mercer's daughter, is far more than a symbol of her father's past. She's a curious, strong-willed girl growing into her independence and managing traumatic upheavals at every turn. I was equally invested in her as I was in the adults.
How To Flaunt Your Chains works well as a standalone, but I think it would help to at least read book three first. I think having that context helped me catch on to the dark implications of errant research more quickly. I also just thought it was neat to see where this story intersects with the previous one. I'm excited to see how the others overlap.
Thanks so much to the author for the chance to check out an advance copy of this book. I'm leaving this review of my own accord.
June 3, 2025
I didn’t know how much I was going to love this story going in. From the first page I was hooked, there was action right from the start and Rahil is just so damned likable that I could not put the story down. The plot was truly plotting and it was clearly so well thought out and interesting that I had to keep reading to see what was gonna happen.
Rahil was so sweet 🥹 and lovable 🥰 and lonely 🥺 Mercer truly did not stand a chance. I love that Rahil was such a cornball…like, me too friend, me too. His backstory was so painful and the way he blamed himself for every bad thing that happened to him was so sad but relatable 😭
Mercer was an equally interesting character with so much depth beneath the stoic mask used to protect himself. The depiction of his anxiety was well done and felt so real and honest. His relationship with his daughter, Lydia was truly the heart of the story (aside from his relationship with Rahil) The fear and worry for Lydia was palpable and gave his character even more depth.
The relationship between Rahil and Mercer was electric. The sexual tension, the banter, the slow burn that made you want to shake them as much as you wanted to root for their love was all so well done. A story with a Black man and a POC man that didn’t fetishize or make them feel like caricatures was such a breath of fresh air. I loved these two together and their happy ending was so well earned 🥹 Also, I loved how the intimacy of the biting was so sensual and so hot 🥵
I loved this series and I can’t wait to get the novella and last book even though I’m sad to see the series end. DN Bryn’s writing just captures you and truly does not let go until the story is done.
Rahil was so sweet 🥹 and lovable 🥰 and lonely 🥺 Mercer truly did not stand a chance. I love that Rahil was such a cornball…like, me too friend, me too. His backstory was so painful and the way he blamed himself for every bad thing that happened to him was so sad but relatable 😭
Mercer was an equally interesting character with so much depth beneath the stoic mask used to protect himself. The depiction of his anxiety was well done and felt so real and honest. His relationship with his daughter, Lydia was truly the heart of the story (aside from his relationship with Rahil) The fear and worry for Lydia was palpable and gave his character even more depth.
The relationship between Rahil and Mercer was electric. The sexual tension, the banter, the slow burn that made you want to shake them as much as you wanted to root for their love was all so well done. A story with a Black man and a POC man that didn’t fetishize or make them feel like caricatures was such a breath of fresh air. I loved these two together and their happy ending was so well earned 🥹 Also, I loved how the intimacy of the biting was so sensual and so hot 🥵
I loved this series and I can’t wait to get the novella and last book even though I’m sad to see the series end. DN Bryn’s writing just captures you and truly does not let go until the story is done.
May 21, 2025
I really love DN Bryn’s writing and this book was a great addition to their vampire series!
Rahil spends his time hunting the apps for hookups for blood and sex; being a vampire means he’s constantly looking over his shoulder and his difficult past prevents him from trying to make any long-lasting relationships… Until he ‘accidentally’ gets trapped (repeatedly) in the workshop of a metalsmith with a wall full of knives. Whoops!
Mercer’s life is all about his work and looking after his chronically ill daughter. But when a beautiful vampire quite literally crashes into his life, something sparks to life inside him - something he hasn’t felt since his’s wife’s murder. He ropes Rahil into helping him with a project he’s working on, a metal that will hopefully help heal vampires, and the two grow closer.
But both Mercer and Rahil are hiding things that might destroy their new friendship and the evil corporation Vitalis-Barron is moving forward with its plan to kidnap and experiment on vampires. To add the to drama, Mercer is being threatened by multiple people who want access to the rare metals he can create - but are they trying to hurt or help the vampires? And can Mercer tell the difference before it’s too late?
There was a lot of angst in this book and I was in the edge of my seat whilst I read! I desperately wanted the pair of them to be happy and I was so afraid for them the whole time; their HEA was hard-won and so deserved!
Read HTFYCASAV for:
✨ Vampire x Human(?!)
✨ Pan, bi/ace/demi rep
✨ Single dads
✨ Religious trauma
✨ Chronic illness rep
✨ Grief and loss
✨ Finding love after loss
✨ Older MCs (40+)
✨ Kink (bondage)
✨ Vampire bites
Thank you so much to the author for an ARC of this book! It’s available tomorrow - 22nd May 2025 💕
Rahil spends his time hunting the apps for hookups for blood and sex; being a vampire means he’s constantly looking over his shoulder and his difficult past prevents him from trying to make any long-lasting relationships… Until he ‘accidentally’ gets trapped (repeatedly) in the workshop of a metalsmith with a wall full of knives. Whoops!
Mercer’s life is all about his work and looking after his chronically ill daughter. But when a beautiful vampire quite literally crashes into his life, something sparks to life inside him - something he hasn’t felt since his’s wife’s murder. He ropes Rahil into helping him with a project he’s working on, a metal that will hopefully help heal vampires, and the two grow closer.
But both Mercer and Rahil are hiding things that might destroy their new friendship and the evil corporation Vitalis-Barron is moving forward with its plan to kidnap and experiment on vampires. To add the to drama, Mercer is being threatened by multiple people who want access to the rare metals he can create - but are they trying to hurt or help the vampires? And can Mercer tell the difference before it’s too late?
There was a lot of angst in this book and I was in the edge of my seat whilst I read! I desperately wanted the pair of them to be happy and I was so afraid for them the whole time; their HEA was hard-won and so deserved!
Read HTFYCASAV for:
✨ Vampire x Human(?!)
✨ Pan, bi/ace/demi rep
✨ Single dads
✨ Religious trauma
✨ Chronic illness rep
✨ Grief and loss
✨ Finding love after loss
✨ Older MCs (40+)
✨ Kink (bondage)
✨ Vampire bites
Thank you so much to the author for an ARC of this book! It’s available tomorrow - 22nd May 2025 💕
May 23, 2025
Safety info, content warnings and tropes down below.
I enjoyed a lot of this. There were a few strange parts and the first half didn’t exactly fly by, but once it really picked up I didn’t want to put it back down. Well, except for the sex scene because that felt very impersonal and clinical, so it took me a while to read it.
The MCs had really good chemistry outside of that, though. The biting and feeding? So sensual and intimate, which is the best part of any vampire romance imo. It just didn’t quite translate to the sex. One MC is asexual and only just figuring himself out so that might have affected things, but I think mostly it was an awkward writing situation.
The plot definitely gives you the feeling that these characters were destined to meet and for their lives to collide. I thought the plot was neat, and I could follow it better than I did in the previous book.
There’s also about 98% less pirate-related stuff than you’d expect from the cover. That is indeed not rope, a boat, or a pirate (the remaining 2% are Rahil’s pirate-y shirts).
Entirely personal grievance: having both a Leah and a Lydia in the same book apparently fucks me up. Could not keep them straight.
Thank you to D.N. Bryn for the ARC.
Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Vampire MC
Indian heritage
BIPOC MCs
Divorced MC
Pansexual MC
Single dad
Chronic illness rep
Dog dad
Slow burn
Fae MC
‘good boy'
Bondage
Fang-muzzle
Sex toys
Cock ring
Sensory play — clamps, blindfold, cold dildo
Asexual rep
Fang-induced orgasm
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Blood consumption
Grief and guilt
Death of spouse (past, violent, details)
Death of spouse (past, cancer)
Recreational drug use (gummien)
Insomnia
Animal killed off page (detailed corpse)
Prescription drug use
MC’s pet dog poisoned - medical emergency (survives)
Explicit sexual content
Death of MC’s children (past)
Mentions of MC’s child committing suicide (past, few details)
Vomiting
Alcohol consumption
Past severe injury to MC (hit by drunk driver)
Bondage
Erotic spanking (brief)
On-page graphic violence
Chronically ill child (on-page seizure)
MC injured (stabbed and beaten, on page)
MC killing bad guy on page
Anxiety attacks
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: Rahil has two failed hookups with other people after meeting Mercer for the first time (nothing has happened between the MCs at this point). Rahil uses hookups to get blood.
Breakup: Almost
POV: 3rd person, dual
Genre: Fantasy romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 64/65 (vampire) and 41
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 372
Happy ending: Yes
“You really are just like this?” “A stupid, irrevocable flirt with no brain-to-mouth filter? Yes.” If nothing else, he would die how he lived: a terror.
Occasionally, someone would contract an electrical engineer who looked like a South Asian vampiric twink with a pirate’s wardrobe and only worked at night, if he gave them enough of a discount, or they had just the right set of kinks.
He fucking missed Rahil, like a crack had been revealed in his chest, and only that soft touch could fill it again.
“I just want to have a night that’s all mine, and when you’re here, I feel the world is meant for me again.”
“Good boy,” he murmured against Rahil’s forehead.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...
I enjoyed a lot of this. There were a few strange parts and the first half didn’t exactly fly by, but once it really picked up I didn’t want to put it back down. Well, except for the sex scene because that felt very impersonal and clinical, so it took me a while to read it.
The MCs had really good chemistry outside of that, though. The biting and feeding? So sensual and intimate, which is the best part of any vampire romance imo. It just didn’t quite translate to the sex. One MC is asexual and only just figuring himself out so that might have affected things, but I think mostly it was an awkward writing situation.
The plot definitely gives you the feeling that these characters were destined to meet and for their lives to collide. I thought the plot was neat, and I could follow it better than I did in the previous book.
There’s also about 98% less pirate-related stuff than you’d expect from the cover. That is indeed not rope, a boat, or a pirate (the remaining 2% are Rahil’s pirate-y shirts).
Entirely personal grievance: having both a Leah and a Lydia in the same book apparently fucks me up. Could not keep them straight.
Thank you to D.N. Bryn for the ARC.
Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Vampire MC
Indian heritage
BIPOC MCs
Divorced MC
Pansexual MC
Single dad
Chronic illness rep
Dog dad
Slow burn
Fae MC
‘good boy'
Bondage
Fang-muzzle
Sex toys
Cock ring
Sensory play — clamps, blindfold, cold dildo
Asexual rep
Fang-induced orgasm
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Blood consumption
Grief and guilt
Death of spouse (past, violent, details)
Death of spouse (past, cancer)
Recreational drug use (gummien)
Insomnia
Animal killed off page (detailed corpse)
Prescription drug use
MC’s pet dog poisoned - medical emergency (survives)
Explicit sexual content
Death of MC’s children (past)
Mentions of MC’s child committing suicide (past, few details)
Vomiting
Alcohol consumption
Past severe injury to MC (hit by drunk driver)
Bondage
Erotic spanking (brief)
On-page graphic violence
Chronically ill child (on-page seizure)
MC injured (stabbed and beaten, on page)
MC killing bad guy on page
Anxiety attacks
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: Rahil has two failed hookups with other people after meeting Mercer for the first time (nothing has happened between the MCs at this point). Rahil uses hookups to get blood.
Breakup: Almost
POV: 3rd person, dual
Genre: Fantasy romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 64/65 (vampire) and 41
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 372
Happy ending: Yes
“You really are just like this?” “A stupid, irrevocable flirt with no brain-to-mouth filter? Yes.” If nothing else, he would die how he lived: a terror.
Occasionally, someone would contract an electrical engineer who looked like a South Asian vampiric twink with a pirate’s wardrobe and only worked at night, if he gave them enough of a discount, or they had just the right set of kinks.
He fucking missed Rahil, like a crack had been revealed in his chest, and only that soft touch could fill it again.
“I just want to have a night that’s all mine, and when you’re here, I feel the world is meant for me again.”
“Good boy,” he murmured against Rahil’s forehead.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...
May 17, 2025
For some reason, I went into this one expecting a lighthearted, sweet-and-spicy read—and while there were moments like that, this book ended up being so much more. It's heavy. The mechanics of vampirism are pretty unique here, and I think it's also a pretty clear political analogy about how marginalized communities are treated. Given the state of our current political climate, that made this book hit me even harder.
I loved how our two MCs come together and work through their grief and loss. I appreciated that nothing was sugarcoated. The good guys don’t always win. Sometimes it’s one step forward and two steps back. Sometimes you make what you think is the right choice, and it turns out to be the wrong one—and it’s devastating. And sometimes, you consciously make the wrong choice because the cost of doing the right thing is just too high. The world isn’t black and white—it’s all shades of gray—and this book does a fantastic job of showing that.
This is the first book I’ve read in the series, and it works perfectly as a standalone. I’m absolutely rearranging my TBR to bump the rest of the series up, and I highly recommend checking this one out.
Thank you so much to the author for the advanced copy—this book absolutely blew me away.
I loved how our two MCs come together and work through their grief and loss. I appreciated that nothing was sugarcoated. The good guys don’t always win. Sometimes it’s one step forward and two steps back. Sometimes you make what you think is the right choice, and it turns out to be the wrong one—and it’s devastating. And sometimes, you consciously make the wrong choice because the cost of doing the right thing is just too high. The world isn’t black and white—it’s all shades of gray—and this book does a fantastic job of showing that.
This is the first book I’ve read in the series, and it works perfectly as a standalone. I’m absolutely rearranging my TBR to bump the rest of the series up, and I highly recommend checking this one out.
Thank you so much to the author for the advanced copy—this book absolutely blew me away.
January 4, 2026
I'm seriously so so glad I came across this series. This was the second book in the series with an asexual main character, and the third with chronic illness representation, and I'm realising how perfect the contemporary gay vampire romance genre is for exploring these themes. Even though the books are uneven in some ways (the level of writing, character development and plot design varies between the books from brilliant and unexpected, to very predictable and a bit underwritten) I just love how D. N. Bryn uses all the sexual and political possibilities of the genre, without avoiding the difficult realities of racism, ableism, other supremancy behavior, poverty and grief (among other things.) Casting the Big Pharma as the main villain works so well, the lore deepens book by book, and I cannot waitttt until March to see how the story concludes!
June 16, 2025
A great addition to the series! This book had all the same charm as the previous books and it had me eating it up! There was the right amount of angst as well as the right amount of healing and softer parts within the book. The author knows how to portray the character's feelings to the reader. I really enjoyed the chemistry between Mercer and Rahil. I also loved Lydia's character and her relationship with Rahil. I also felt like this book had a lot more tie ins and cameos of the previous couples in the series. It makes me excited how everything may come together in the final book!
Thank you to the author for providing me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to the author for providing me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 14, 2025
I genuinely didn’t think any of the Guide to Dating a Vampire books were going to top Sell Your Blood, but DN Bryn has proved me wrong…
On the face of it, this could have been a smutty little book filled with kink but in actuality, Flaunt Your Chains is, in many ways, a story about living with grief and guilt and regret and how these things can leave us so incredibly lonely. The way my heart bled for Ray and Merc, my word. I don’t know what the reason is, but something about these two had them burrowing their way into my heart (to the point that I sneakily finished their story while at work 🤫). This is one of the softest love stories (the way the loneliest whale broke me…) I’ve read in ages about two people seeing past each other’s walls and loving them for their flaws. And Lydia was an absolute gem!
As always, it’s a treat and a surprise to spot the cameos from the other books. Bryn has an entire town living in their head and characters weave in and out of each other’s lives as seamlessly as in real life. I both can’t wait to find out who is at the center of book 5, and am so sad that it will mean this series is over. But for now - read this book, read this series!
Thank you to DN Bryn for the privilege of reading and honestly reviewing How to Flaunt Your Chains and Surrender a Vein prior to its release.
On the face of it, this could have been a smutty little book filled with kink but in actuality, Flaunt Your Chains is, in many ways, a story about living with grief and guilt and regret and how these things can leave us so incredibly lonely. The way my heart bled for Ray and Merc, my word. I don’t know what the reason is, but something about these two had them burrowing their way into my heart (to the point that I sneakily finished their story while at work 🤫). This is one of the softest love stories (the way the loneliest whale broke me…) I’ve read in ages about two people seeing past each other’s walls and loving them for their flaws. And Lydia was an absolute gem!
As always, it’s a treat and a surprise to spot the cameos from the other books. Bryn has an entire town living in their head and characters weave in and out of each other’s lives as seamlessly as in real life. I both can’t wait to find out who is at the center of book 5, and am so sad that it will mean this series is over. But for now - read this book, read this series!
Thank you to DN Bryn for the privilege of reading and honestly reviewing How to Flaunt Your Chains and Surrender a Vein prior to its release.
May 30, 2025
How to Flaunt Your Chains and Surrender a Vein by D.N. Bryn
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars
📚 Book Four of Guides for Dating Vampires Series
👉 Can Be Read as a Standalone
⬆️ Ebook ARC
😏 Adult MM Paranormal Romance
📖 Deeply Emotional Story w/ Banter & Bondage
👆 Hurt/Comfort
🌈 Pan & Ace Rep
🔀 Dual POV, Third-Person Narrative
😏⛓️ Meet Cute... If Chain-Trapping a Vampire Counts 😉
🩸📱'Vampire Serial First-Date ("bleed em and leave em, baby! ")'
x
💔👻'Lonely Single Haunting the Dating Apps'
😈 Flamboyant Vampire x Protective Human 😇
🐈⬛ Black Cat Chaos Energy x Loyal Golden Retriever Dad Vibes 🐶
😁 Sunshine-Flirt x Brooding 😡
🗣 Extrovert x Quiet Stoic 😐
🧲 Opposites Attract
💘 Immediate Physical Attraction w/ Diverse Feelings About Sex
🥵 Slow Burn w/ Intense Chemistry
😉 Daddy x Good Boy
🧸 Soft Dom x Submissive Twink 😋
👄 Sexy Biting & Blood Play 👅
🚦 BDSM & Kink Exploration 🪢(bondage, praise, sensory play....)
🔥 Spicy Level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
MCs:
🤨⚒️⚔️💍👉 Mercer 'Merc' Jacques Bloncourt (Human/Fae, 41yo):
🗡 Bisexual. Brown skin, dark curls, strong build.
🗡 A talented metalsmith, he crafts unique, custom kink jewelry and artistic BDSM objects.
🗡 Once forged deadly silver weapon (vampire-killing "holy silver") after his wife’s murder... something he now deeply regrets.
🗡 A single dad raising his chronically ill teenage daughter and Kat, their sweet dog.
🗡 Quiet and grounded, marked by loss, with a protective and deeply caring heart.
🗡 He believes there’s no space for romance in his life… but Rahil’s light is slowly breaking through his walls (or chains). 😏
😏🌃🧛🏻🕶💻👉 Rahil 'Ray' Zaman (Vampire, 65yo but looks 20s):
🩸 A pansexual vampiric twink with long, silky dark hair, long lashes, hazel eyes, and dusty brown skin from his Indian heritage.
🩸He loves wearing pirate shirts and high-heeled boots, and charm for days... and he knows it. 😏
🩸 He’s an out-of-work electrical engineer.
🩸 He lives in his own house, a crumbling, gothic three-story place.
🩸 His door is always open to anyone who needs shelter, especially young people who have nowhere else to go.
🩸 Rahil hides deep emotional trauma and survivor’s guilt behind his flirty, flamboyant attitude.
🩸 His heart is so big... It makes me want to hug him, to spoil him. He’s become my fav.
🩸 He feeds through hookup apps, a win-win for him (such a twink), but it’s getting riskier every time.
⚠️ Content Warnings:
👉 Angsty
⚠️ Alcohol Consumption
⚠️ Blood Consumption (w/ consent)
⚠️ Medication Use
⚠️ Migraine & Vomiting
⚠️ Short-Term Memory Issues (related to chronic anxiety)
⚠️ Insomnia
⚠️ Chronic Illness Rep
⚠️ On-Page Seizures (Human & Pet, no deaths)
⚠️ Grief, Loss & Trauma (includes past/implied deaths from cancer, homicide, and suicide)
⚠️ Physical Violence & Death (on page)
⚠️ Blood & Medical Exploitation
⚠️ Dog poisoning (Mc's pet, survives)
⚠️ Small Wild Animal Death
⚠️ Blackmail
👉 Found Family Vibes
👏 Superb Character Development
🥰 Love the Ending
😍 HEA (Yes, After All That!)
Cover: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars
💬 My Thoughts
🥰 If I thought the previous books were amazing, this one deserves six stars. I was completely immersed from the first page. The writing is so smooth and easy to read, with worldbuilding that feels both fun and meaningful.
👏 As always, Bryn writes about grief, chronic illness, and marginalization with incredible care and honesty. The emotions feel raw and real.
🥺😭 Merc and Rahil’s connection is slow, messy, and beautiful.
They carry so much grief, and instead of "fixing" each other, they learn to live, hope, and love despite the pain.
They may seem like opposites, but they see each other in a way no one else does.
🤌🥵 I loved their chemistry... from the delicious tension to the spicy scenes... but what really touched me was how much heart there was.
Their kinky dynamic was so fun and full of warmth. And honestly, who better for Rahil than someone who literally crafts kink gear?
😍 The way they support, tease, and heal one another had me falling for them completely.
🌈 I also really appreciated how the book explores pan, bi, and possibly ace identities without pressure or labels, just honest, heartfelt experiences.
💖 The secondary characters? I loved every one of them. The friendships, the return of familiar faces, the warmth of a true found family... it all made my heart full. The mix of humor, vulnerability, and spice took me on an emotional rollercoaster... in the best way.
🤣🤧🥰 I laughed. I cried. I swooned. I’m obsessed.
🐋▪︎FAV QUOTES▪︎🐋
👍I'm definitely going to read this again
🎧 Already excited to listen to the audiobook!
💯 I'm so excited to read the last book in this series... but I’m not ready to say goodbye. I need more stories with my vampires!
😉 Thanks for reading hope this helps you out!
I received this book as a gift from the author and am voluntarily leaving this review.
StoryGraph Review
BookBub Review
Reviews On Goodreads
My Socials
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars
📚 Book Four of Guides for Dating Vampires Series
👉 Can Be Read as a Standalone
⬆️ Ebook ARC
😏 Adult MM Paranormal Romance
📖 Deeply Emotional Story w/ Banter & Bondage
👆 Hurt/Comfort
🌈 Pan & Ace Rep
🔀 Dual POV, Third-Person Narrative
😏⛓️ Meet Cute... If Chain-Trapping a Vampire Counts 😉
🩸📱'Vampire Serial First-Date ("bleed em and leave em, baby! ")'
x
💔👻'Lonely Single Haunting the Dating Apps'
😈 Flamboyant Vampire x Protective Human 😇
🐈⬛ Black Cat Chaos Energy x Loyal Golden Retriever Dad Vibes 🐶
😁 Sunshine-Flirt x Brooding 😡
🗣 Extrovert x Quiet Stoic 😐
🧲 Opposites Attract
💘 Immediate Physical Attraction w/ Diverse Feelings About Sex
🥵 Slow Burn w/ Intense Chemistry
😉 Daddy x Good Boy
🧸 Soft Dom x Submissive Twink 😋
👄 Sexy Biting & Blood Play 👅
🚦 BDSM & Kink Exploration 🪢(bondage, praise, sensory play....)
🔥 Spicy Level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
MCs:
🤨⚒️⚔️💍👉 Mercer 'Merc' Jacques Bloncourt (Human/Fae, 41yo):
🗡 Bisexual. Brown skin, dark curls, strong build.
🗡 A talented metalsmith, he crafts unique, custom kink jewelry and artistic BDSM objects.
🗡 Once forged deadly silver weapon (vampire-killing "holy silver") after his wife’s murder... something he now deeply regrets.
🗡 A single dad raising his chronically ill teenage daughter and Kat, their sweet dog.
🗡 Quiet and grounded, marked by loss, with a protective and deeply caring heart.
🗡 He believes there’s no space for romance in his life… but Rahil’s light is slowly breaking through his walls (or chains). 😏
😏🌃🧛🏻🕶💻👉 Rahil 'Ray' Zaman (Vampire, 65yo but looks 20s):
🩸 A pansexual vampiric twink with long, silky dark hair, long lashes, hazel eyes, and dusty brown skin from his Indian heritage.
🩸He loves wearing pirate shirts and high-heeled boots, and charm for days... and he knows it. 😏
🩸 He’s an out-of-work electrical engineer.
🩸 He lives in his own house, a crumbling, gothic three-story place.
🩸 His door is always open to anyone who needs shelter, especially young people who have nowhere else to go.
🩸 Rahil hides deep emotional trauma and survivor’s guilt behind his flirty, flamboyant attitude.
🩸 His heart is so big... It makes me want to hug him, to spoil him. He’s become my fav.
🩸 He feeds through hookup apps, a win-win for him (such a twink), but it’s getting riskier every time.
⚠️ Content Warnings:
👉 Angsty
⚠️ Alcohol Consumption
⚠️ Blood Consumption (w/ consent)
⚠️ Medication Use
⚠️ Migraine & Vomiting
⚠️ Short-Term Memory Issues (related to chronic anxiety)
⚠️ Insomnia
⚠️ Chronic Illness Rep
⚠️ On-Page Seizures (Human & Pet, no deaths)
⚠️ Grief, Loss & Trauma (includes past/implied deaths from cancer, homicide, and suicide)
⚠️ Physical Violence & Death (on page)
⚠️ Blood & Medical Exploitation
⚠️ Dog poisoning (Mc's pet, survives)
⚠️ Small Wild Animal Death
⚠️ Blackmail
👉 Found Family Vibes
👏 Superb Character Development
🥰 Love the Ending
😍 HEA (Yes, After All That!)
Cover: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars
💬 My Thoughts
🥰 If I thought the previous books were amazing, this one deserves six stars. I was completely immersed from the first page. The writing is so smooth and easy to read, with worldbuilding that feels both fun and meaningful.
👏 As always, Bryn writes about grief, chronic illness, and marginalization with incredible care and honesty. The emotions feel raw and real.
🥺😭 Merc and Rahil’s connection is slow, messy, and beautiful.
They carry so much grief, and instead of "fixing" each other, they learn to live, hope, and love despite the pain.
They may seem like opposites, but they see each other in a way no one else does.
🤌🥵 I loved their chemistry... from the delicious tension to the spicy scenes... but what really touched me was how much heart there was.
Their kinky dynamic was so fun and full of warmth. And honestly, who better for Rahil than someone who literally crafts kink gear?
😍 The way they support, tease, and heal one another had me falling for them completely.
🌈 I also really appreciated how the book explores pan, bi, and possibly ace identities without pressure or labels, just honest, heartfelt experiences.
💖 The secondary characters? I loved every one of them. The friendships, the return of familiar faces, the warmth of a true found family... it all made my heart full. The mix of humor, vulnerability, and spice took me on an emotional rollercoaster... in the best way.
🤣🤧🥰 I laughed. I cried. I swooned. I’m obsessed.
🐋▪︎FAV QUOTES▪︎🐋
■ 'Merc’s eyes narrowed. “I can make you regret that.”
“Please do.”'
■ 'Rahil held out both wrists expectantly. “Hurt me, daddy.”
Mercer wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. Or die, perhaps. What his mouth said was, “Not today,” followed by, “Your skin is giving me a headache.”
Rahil lifted a brow with a smirk.
“Not like that,” Mercer clarified, scowling at him. The expression only made his face hurt more. He sighed again instead and found himself patting Rahil’s still-outstretched wrists like he had to comfort the vampire.'
■ '“Fuck, you’re just as gorgeous without clothes.”
Mercer gave the chub on his thighs a little wobble. “It’s genetics?”
“Mm, no, it’s magic,” Rahil replied. “Definitely some fairy nonsense.” He ran his hand along Mercer’s knee as he sat down, touching him in such steady, smooth motions that it felt calming.
“And here I thought I was a bear.” Mercer gave the hair on his chest a ruffle as evidence. The way Rahil’s eyes dragged over him made his skin feel like fire.
“You can be everything. Infinite.”'
■ 'Rahil’s nonchalant manner slid a little. “You’re not planning to gag me, right?”
“I think you might die if you can’t speak, so no.”
...
“And at no point have you refused,” Mercer reminded him, having far too much fun for his own good. If Rahil was going to taunt him so purposefully, it was only fair that he got the chance to retaliate.
“People pleaser, remember.”
“So you’d let anyone torment you like this?”
That made Rahil’s mouth shut entirely. He finally grumbled, “Only anyone with hands like yours.”'
■ 'He withdrew his finger from Rahil’s mouth and wiped the drop of blood from his fingertip onto his own lip, just to see what it would do to Rahil.
The vampire whimpered, watching him with the kind of pleading look that made him more puppy-dog than predator. “Fuuuuck,” he groaned.
“Not yet,” Mercer said. “Torture first.”'
👍I'm definitely going to read this again
🎧 Already excited to listen to the audiobook!
💯 I'm so excited to read the last book in this series... but I’m not ready to say goodbye. I need more stories with my vampires!
😉 Thanks for reading hope this helps you out!
I received this book as a gift from the author and am voluntarily leaving this review.
StoryGraph Review
BookBub Review
Reviews On Goodreads
My Socials
July 3, 2025
This series just keeps getting better.
I went into this book blind, having loved the previous ones so much I knew I wanted to read it no matter what. However when I started and realized that the smith from the previous books is one of the main characters I squealed. Mercer was such an interesting and mysterious character so far and getting to know more about him was absolutely exciting.
During the book we get to know him as someone often alone in his shed working on his creative endeavors, but above all someone who fiercely loves his daughter. The interactions he has with his daughter made me love him so so fiercely. He is a dad who wishes to be the best dad he can be, but teenagers are hard to communicate with sometimes things don't really go well between him and Lydia, his daughter. The way he keeps trying to keep being the best dad made me love him even more right from the start.
Rahil is such a lovely man too. His impulsivity reminds me of my own partner and makes me want to hug him close. Underneath his impulsivity and kindness however is a deeply troubled man gosh do I want to wrap him in a blanket and tell everything will be fine. But I guess we all know that most likely Mercer will be the better candidate for that.
The way these two meet however is a moment full of joy and jokes from the get go. Rahil is an absolute flirt and Mercer his reactions to him were so so fun to be a part of. And just like I was pulled in by Rahil's atmosphere so is Mercer and he can't say no to that lovely face of him. Them spending more and more time together was such a good time to read. The feelings are so intense on both sides and it made me yearn for that final moment when they'd get together. And when they did? well fireworks sparked and I felt like the happiest little reader.
Aside from the romance the plot of this book is quite intense and that is one of the things I love so much about this series. For me it's the exact right balance between side plot and romance and it keeps me hooked. This including a threat on his daughters life however things feel extra tense this time around. The vampire hunters really don't take no for an answer and gosh has this made me scary for these two men and the daughter. But Bryn knows how to write a good story and knows how to resolve struggles in an amazing way like they have proved before and this book delivers once again.
Concluding this is a lovely romance where sparks fly from the start and the plot keeps you at the edge of your seat.
I received this eARC and this was my honest review.
I went into this book blind, having loved the previous ones so much I knew I wanted to read it no matter what. However when I started and realized that the smith from the previous books is one of the main characters I squealed. Mercer was such an interesting and mysterious character so far and getting to know more about him was absolutely exciting.
During the book we get to know him as someone often alone in his shed working on his creative endeavors, but above all someone who fiercely loves his daughter. The interactions he has with his daughter made me love him so so fiercely. He is a dad who wishes to be the best dad he can be, but teenagers are hard to communicate with sometimes things don't really go well between him and Lydia, his daughter. The way he keeps trying to keep being the best dad made me love him even more right from the start.
Rahil is such a lovely man too. His impulsivity reminds me of my own partner and makes me want to hug him close. Underneath his impulsivity and kindness however is a deeply troubled man gosh do I want to wrap him in a blanket and tell everything will be fine. But I guess we all know that most likely Mercer will be the better candidate for that.
The way these two meet however is a moment full of joy and jokes from the get go. Rahil is an absolute flirt and Mercer his reactions to him were so so fun to be a part of. And just like I was pulled in by Rahil's atmosphere so is Mercer and he can't say no to that lovely face of him. Them spending more and more time together was such a good time to read. The feelings are so intense on both sides and it made me yearn for that final moment when they'd get together. And when they did? well fireworks sparked and I felt like the happiest little reader.
Aside from the romance the plot of this book is quite intense and that is one of the things I love so much about this series. For me it's the exact right balance between side plot and romance and it keeps me hooked. This including a threat on his daughters life however things feel extra tense this time around. The vampire hunters really don't take no for an answer and gosh has this made me scary for these two men and the daughter. But Bryn knows how to write a good story and knows how to resolve struggles in an amazing way like they have proved before and this book delivers once again.
Concluding this is a lovely romance where sparks fly from the start and the plot keeps you at the edge of your seat.
I received this eARC and this was my honest review.
May 22, 2025
***ARC Review***
This is my honest and voluntary review.
This is the fourth book in D.N. Bryn’s Guides for Dating Vampires series. (Vitalis-Barron is a common thread throughout the series). I was a big fan of the diversity and representation in this novel. This is a slow burn romance (there is a spicy scene around the 72% mark) that features loneliness in such a way that it makes you want to hug someone. Your heart will go out to Rahil and Mercer. They have a bumpy start, but I really appreciate how Rahil and Mercer grow to accept one another as they are, flaws and all. Both MCs help one another to deal with loss, regret, and grief.
Rahil is a vampire. He keeps to himself, yet he often offers physicalness (read between the lines) in exchange for blood. After one rendezvous goes south, Rahil winds up hiding in a shed. Mercer is a single dad who is trying to navigate his relationship with his chronically ill daughter, Lydia. There is more than meets the eye when it comes to Rahil. His immunity to holy silver was a nice addition to his charming personality. (It was pleasant to discover that there is also more than meets the eye when it comes to Mercer as well).
I adored the back and forth interactions between these two MCs. I appreciated the vulnerable moments between Rahil and Mercer even more. [Chapters 32 and 33 are gut wrenching]. There is a bit of suspense in this novel as well as moments of conflict. That said, Mercer and Rahil find a way to get through it all and achieve their HEA.
This is my honest and voluntary review.
This is the fourth book in D.N. Bryn’s Guides for Dating Vampires series. (Vitalis-Barron is a common thread throughout the series). I was a big fan of the diversity and representation in this novel. This is a slow burn romance (there is a spicy scene around the 72% mark) that features loneliness in such a way that it makes you want to hug someone. Your heart will go out to Rahil and Mercer. They have a bumpy start, but I really appreciate how Rahil and Mercer grow to accept one another as they are, flaws and all. Both MCs help one another to deal with loss, regret, and grief.
Rahil is a vampire. He keeps to himself, yet he often offers physicalness (read between the lines) in exchange for blood. After one rendezvous goes south, Rahil winds up hiding in a shed. Mercer is a single dad who is trying to navigate his relationship with his chronically ill daughter, Lydia. There is more than meets the eye when it comes to Rahil. His immunity to holy silver was a nice addition to his charming personality. (It was pleasant to discover that there is also more than meets the eye when it comes to Mercer as well).
I adored the back and forth interactions between these two MCs. I appreciated the vulnerable moments between Rahil and Mercer even more. [Chapters 32 and 33 are gut wrenching]. There is a bit of suspense in this novel as well as moments of conflict. That said, Mercer and Rahil find a way to get through it all and achieve their HEA.
January 1, 2026
The fourth book in this series really kept my interest focused on this world and plot line. I definitely feel like there is more to it coming.
I think, although I really did like the couple in this book, I still prefer Andres and Shane more than Mercer and Rahil. Although I do like the idea that both Rahil and Mercer have been married before and have tumultuous feelings about their pasts and their children, I just didn’t feel as much of the romantic tension that I like from this author compared to the tension between Andres and Shane. So that’s why I think I like them more than this couple.
However, I do feel like this book spends a bit more time on the main characters’ relationships and plot line and less time on the overarching main plot line that the other three previous couples did. It was certainly there in the background with Nat showing up, Anthony being one of Mercer’s customers, and Wes’s story in the news, but it was all very background compared to the other previous 3 books where it felt much more involved in the main characters lives. The spicy rating was also a level 5.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I can see that a fifth book is incoming for sure and I’m excited for that and would love to return to this world.
I think, although I really did like the couple in this book, I still prefer Andres and Shane more than Mercer and Rahil. Although I do like the idea that both Rahil and Mercer have been married before and have tumultuous feelings about their pasts and their children, I just didn’t feel as much of the romantic tension that I like from this author compared to the tension between Andres and Shane. So that’s why I think I like them more than this couple.
However, I do feel like this book spends a bit more time on the main characters’ relationships and plot line and less time on the overarching main plot line that the other three previous couples did. It was certainly there in the background with Nat showing up, Anthony being one of Mercer’s customers, and Wes’s story in the news, but it was all very background compared to the other previous 3 books where it felt much more involved in the main characters lives. The spicy rating was also a level 5.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I can see that a fifth book is incoming for sure and I’m excited for that and would love to return to this world.
November 8, 2025
I'm still onboard for this series, with its cheekily playful titles, its spec fiction vampire-infused world, and its eye for representation and communal justice.
However, this one lacked spark—narratively or emotionally. While I appreciated some aspects of the asexuality rep, overall, the character and plot dynamics were both overwrought and underdeveloped. Maybe I came with too many expectations, thinking this might be the big culminating showdown against the baddie novel (that appears to still be forthcoming), but even without that, there wasn't enough drawing these two characters together. The lead up to them choosing one another was frustratingly banal and then when they do get on the same page, it's a mad leap to "forever" and "I love you." I honestly had to check if I'd somehow accidentally skipped five key chapters somewhere because I was utterly lost as to how we got there out of nowhere.
Nonetheless, I enjoy time in this alt-southern California and its resilient vampire (and other more-than-humans) communities. I hope the next novel weaves a more compelling tale.
[Great audiobook narration by Simon Dornet]
However, this one lacked spark—narratively or emotionally. While I appreciated some aspects of the asexuality rep, overall, the character and plot dynamics were both overwrought and underdeveloped. Maybe I came with too many expectations, thinking this might be the big culminating showdown against the baddie novel (that appears to still be forthcoming), but even without that, there wasn't enough drawing these two characters together. The lead up to them choosing one another was frustratingly banal and then when they do get on the same page, it's a mad leap to "forever" and "I love you." I honestly had to check if I'd somehow accidentally skipped five key chapters somewhere because I was utterly lost as to how we got there out of nowhere.
Nonetheless, I enjoy time in this alt-southern California and its resilient vampire (and other more-than-humans) communities. I hope the next novel weaves a more compelling tale.
[Great audiobook narration by Simon Dornet]
May 21, 2025
Thank you for providing me with this arc!
Secondly, I have to admit I wasn't sure what to think of this book when I saw the cover. I expected A LOT of smut and while there's some present, the story itself was the overwhelming majority.
With that out of the way, let's get on with the actual story which left me heartbroken.
The main character are a bit older (40s) and have A LOT of backstory going on. If you know me, I love myself some good backstory but it didn't have to leave me a broken mess too!
If you want to read a book about hot vampires and fae and want to drown in a puddle of tears, definitely read this one!
I thoroughly enjoyed this one, just like the rest of the series, and I'm glad that characters we saw in previous books also make a return here (whether for the best or the worst).
Secondly, I have to admit I wasn't sure what to think of this book when I saw the cover. I expected A LOT of smut and while there's some present, the story itself was the overwhelming majority.
With that out of the way, let's get on with the actual story which left me heartbroken.
The main character are a bit older (40s) and have A LOT of backstory going on. If you know me, I love myself some good backstory but it didn't have to leave me a broken mess too!
If you want to read a book about hot vampires and fae and want to drown in a puddle of tears, definitely read this one!
I thoroughly enjoyed this one, just like the rest of the series, and I'm glad that characters we saw in previous books also make a return here (whether for the best or the worst).
January 4, 2026
I did not expect this to be an deep and meaningful as it was. this was simply phenomenal. I love how so much of the story focused on family dynamics rather than just the romance. this series has really transformed into so much more than just a vampire romance.
October 6, 2025
Idk, sadly this one didn’t live up to the same hype the others did. Like—it was fine, but it could have been better. And close to the ending I had trouble keeping up with the name drops from the earlier books, I feel like a little more context would have made that better.
May 16, 2025
It's not often that a book knocks me off my feet at the dedication.
I think DN Bryn's vampire series is exactly what we need now. Vampirism in these books is a not-so-secret allegory for how our society marginalizes groups of people in general, and I think that a lot of people could learn a great deal from reading them.
We don't get typical optimism in this book but I firmly believe we get exactly what our community needs right now. The world isn't perfect, and people aren't perfect. We're going to screw up a few things, and other things might be screwed up no matter what we do. Something doesn't lose its value just because we've failed to protect it. Showing up each day we can and accepting that we might not be able to fix everything but that's just life is a kind of optimism in itself.
I love it when elements of a book come together to strengthen each other. Our protagonists are older (yess please!! If life ends at 30, I'm already so unde•d) and they've both lost so much. They have a past that they both have to deal with every day. They're messy because life is messy, in a way that becomes a lot clearer when you've lived a few decades. The same story wouldn't have hit half this well with younger protagonists and these guys couldn't have been put into a better setting.
I've only read the first book in the series before and I've had absolutely no trouble picking up this book.
If you've read DN Bryn's books, you probably know this is going to be amazing. If you haven't, this series is a great place to start.
Thank you to the author for trusting me with an ARC!
I think DN Bryn's vampire series is exactly what we need now. Vampirism in these books is a not-so-secret allegory for how our society marginalizes groups of people in general, and I think that a lot of people could learn a great deal from reading them.
We don't get typical optimism in this book but I firmly believe we get exactly what our community needs right now. The world isn't perfect, and people aren't perfect. We're going to screw up a few things, and other things might be screwed up no matter what we do. Something doesn't lose its value just because we've failed to protect it. Showing up each day we can and accepting that we might not be able to fix everything but that's just life is a kind of optimism in itself.
I love it when elements of a book come together to strengthen each other. Our protagonists are older (yess please!! If life ends at 30, I'm already so unde•d) and they've both lost so much. They have a past that they both have to deal with every day. They're messy because life is messy, in a way that becomes a lot clearer when you've lived a few decades. The same story wouldn't have hit half this well with younger protagonists and these guys couldn't have been put into a better setting.
I've only read the first book in the series before and I've had absolutely no trouble picking up this book.
If you've read DN Bryn's books, you probably know this is going to be amazing. If you haven't, this series is a great place to start.
Thank you to the author for trusting me with an ARC!
June 5, 2025
When I got a few chapters into this book, I knew I was in for an emotional ride (despite all of the hilariously bad flirting).
My heart absolutely broke for both Rahil and Mercer as they grappled with grief and loneliness; but ultimately this gave way to hope for the future for both them and Lydia (whom I adore!). I also was totally smitten with the other characters and found family! I loved putting all the puzzle pieces together the more I read and how everything interconnected between the characters.
I'm always in awe of how seamlessly Bryn brings in cameos of characters from the previous books in the series and find myself giddy when they come on page!
I eagerly await the next (and sadly last) installment of this series. But that just means it's time to read their backlog of other books in the meantime. 😁
This book can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend reading from the beginning of the series if you want to be privy to all the cameos and overarching plot line.
Thank you so so much to D.N. Bryn for an advanced copy to review!
My heart absolutely broke for both Rahil and Mercer as they grappled with grief and loneliness; but ultimately this gave way to hope for the future for both them and Lydia (whom I adore!). I also was totally smitten with the other characters and found family! I loved putting all the puzzle pieces together the more I read and how everything interconnected between the characters.
I'm always in awe of how seamlessly Bryn brings in cameos of characters from the previous books in the series and find myself giddy when they come on page!
I eagerly await the next (and sadly last) installment of this series. But that just means it's time to read their backlog of other books in the meantime. 😁
This book can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend reading from the beginning of the series if you want to be privy to all the cameos and overarching plot line.
Thank you so so much to D.N. Bryn for an advanced copy to review!
May 30, 2025
I found that I have a fun little catchphrase that I say whenever I am reading a D.N Bryn book and it is, "D.N Bryn don't miss."
I enjoy all of their novels, and this one was no exception.
That being said, sometimes I struggle with the dissonance between this series and the modernization of both setting in language it is forced to use, in comparison to something like Odder Still/Stronger Still, which are these very rich, undefined, rule-less fantasy worlds, whereas Guides for Dating-- obviously because of the context of it-- has this more modern social media-esque lens. Like, when I used to read Animorphs and they would talk about Coca-Cola and McDonalds, it would just kind of be like a culture shock of this namebrand thing in this otherwise very fantastical world. I don't think this is a fault-- it's just something that makes me view everything with a bit more wry, tongue- in-cheek view. There's less escapism, right, just by the virtue of the setting and the story it is.
Like I said, this one was not my favorite, but it was still really good. I still think the first one is the best (How to Bite Your Neighbor and Win a Wager) though I find the characters in Bite your Neighbor the most endearing; I like all of the books, and I like all the characters, but when you come out swinging with one that is so sticks-to-your-ribs, every subsequent story falls a little bit further from the mark, just because the connections that you made to that first cast are in the back-seat of following novels. This is an issue of this trend to tell multiple stories in a world instead of installments about the same characters, and it isn't also more of a personal preference for me to see it as... 'shortcoming' is too harsh, but simply to not prefer.
I've LOVED seeing the Guides for Dating Vampires world evolve, and change, and grow. It's been an adventure, and I'm very excited to see where all leads.
It's also always very good to see our extenuating cast of characters all come back together to be this big family at the end. It's like coming home. It's good. It's always good. D.N Bryn don't miss.
I enjoy all of their novels, and this one was no exception.
That being said, sometimes I struggle with the dissonance between this series and the modernization of both setting in language it is forced to use, in comparison to something like Odder Still/Stronger Still, which are these very rich, undefined, rule-less fantasy worlds, whereas Guides for Dating-- obviously because of the context of it-- has this more modern social media-esque lens. Like, when I used to read Animorphs and they would talk about Coca-Cola and McDonalds, it would just kind of be like a culture shock of this namebrand thing in this otherwise very fantastical world. I don't think this is a fault-- it's just something that makes me view everything with a bit more wry, tongue- in-cheek view. There's less escapism, right, just by the virtue of the setting and the story it is.
Like I said, this one was not my favorite, but it was still really good. I still think the first one is the best (How to Bite Your Neighbor and Win a Wager) though I find the characters in Bite your Neighbor the most endearing; I like all of the books, and I like all the characters, but when you come out swinging with one that is so sticks-to-your-ribs, every subsequent story falls a little bit further from the mark, just because the connections that you made to that first cast are in the back-seat of following novels. This is an issue of this trend to tell multiple stories in a world instead of installments about the same characters, and it isn't also more of a personal preference for me to see it as... 'shortcoming' is too harsh, but simply to not prefer.
I've LOVED seeing the Guides for Dating Vampires world evolve, and change, and grow. It's been an adventure, and I'm very excited to see where all leads.
It's also always very good to see our extenuating cast of characters all come back together to be this big family at the end. It's like coming home. It's good. It's always good. D.N Bryn don't miss.
May 17, 2025
D.N. Bryn has a wonderful series that I think many of you should check out! If you love vampires, queer content in books, diversity, character-driven plots and a series that really lets you dig into a fascinating plot.
Vitalis-Barron Pharmaceutical Lab is the villainous thread weaving through all the stories in this series. The first three books in the series have followed various characters as they overcome their own challenges and fight their piece of the battle against Vitalis. Book Four in the series is “How to Flaunt Your Chains and Surrender A Vein” and gets the reader intimately acquainted with Rahil and Mercer.
Rahil is a vampire-twink (meant in the best possible way) and he uses hook up apps to offer sex in exchange for blood. It’s not a bad gig, keeps things interesting and keeps his hunger at bay. Sometimes the hook-ups don’t end well, and Rahil must bolt to protect himself. One such hook up ends up with him hiding in a workshop and ending up trapped in chains.
The chains and the workshop belong to Mercer – who happens to be on one of the apps Rahil uses. Except Mercer has just remained silent despite Rahil’s multiple attempts to hook up. There’s a lot going on in Mercer’s life that doesn’t leave him open to adding a vampire to his small family. He’s raising a daughter with a serious illness after losing his wife.
An incorrigible flirt, even hanging in a trap Rahil can’t prevent himself from letting Merc know how sexy he is. There’s a definite attraction for both…but so many complexities for them to overcome.
This is a really great story. The relationship between Rahil and Mercer is wonderful. I love every one of the author’s vampires, but I think Rahil may be my new favourite. He is a flamboyant, charming, adorable, caring, troubled ball of mayhem and I loved everything about him. Mercer is the very epitome of “still waters run deep”. There’s a lot going on beneath the outer appearances of his life and so much of it is beyond his control. Maybe that’s why he likes control in other areas of his life.
There’s lovely diversity in this novel and it’s done well – not the whole plot but incidental to it. It’s a wonderful world D.N. Bryn has created and one I feel at home in.
As usual, these characters are well developed and captivating. There’s a lot of depth to Mercer and complexity to what Rahil is living with. Both are multi-dimensional and that is such a marvellous thing to discover in novels.
The series is not yet complete and I’m already looking forward to more instalments.
Vitalis-Barron Pharmaceutical Lab is the villainous thread weaving through all the stories in this series. The first three books in the series have followed various characters as they overcome their own challenges and fight their piece of the battle against Vitalis. Book Four in the series is “How to Flaunt Your Chains and Surrender A Vein” and gets the reader intimately acquainted with Rahil and Mercer.
Rahil is a vampire-twink (meant in the best possible way) and he uses hook up apps to offer sex in exchange for blood. It’s not a bad gig, keeps things interesting and keeps his hunger at bay. Sometimes the hook-ups don’t end well, and Rahil must bolt to protect himself. One such hook up ends up with him hiding in a workshop and ending up trapped in chains.
The chains and the workshop belong to Mercer – who happens to be on one of the apps Rahil uses. Except Mercer has just remained silent despite Rahil’s multiple attempts to hook up. There’s a lot going on in Mercer’s life that doesn’t leave him open to adding a vampire to his small family. He’s raising a daughter with a serious illness after losing his wife.
An incorrigible flirt, even hanging in a trap Rahil can’t prevent himself from letting Merc know how sexy he is. There’s a definite attraction for both…but so many complexities for them to overcome.
This is a really great story. The relationship between Rahil and Mercer is wonderful. I love every one of the author’s vampires, but I think Rahil may be my new favourite. He is a flamboyant, charming, adorable, caring, troubled ball of mayhem and I loved everything about him. Mercer is the very epitome of “still waters run deep”. There’s a lot going on beneath the outer appearances of his life and so much of it is beyond his control. Maybe that’s why he likes control in other areas of his life.
There’s lovely diversity in this novel and it’s done well – not the whole plot but incidental to it. It’s a wonderful world D.N. Bryn has created and one I feel at home in.
As usual, these characters are well developed and captivating. There’s a lot of depth to Mercer and complexity to what Rahil is living with. Both are multi-dimensional and that is such a marvellous thing to discover in novels.
The series is not yet complete and I’m already looking forward to more instalments.
May 20, 2025
Before I begin, I would like to thank D. N. Bryn for allowing me to read a copy of their upcoming book, How to Flaunt Your Chains and Surrender a Vein, which is the fourth book of their Guides For Dating Vampires series and will be available on itchio and Amazon on May 22nd, 2025.
Rahil Zaman has many reasons why he isolates himself from others, and only one of them is because he’s a vampire. He gets blood via dangerous one-nightstands on dating apps full of hunters. After an awful hookup, he finds himself trapped in the work shed of the person he wishes would give him a chance. Mercer Bloncourt didn’t expect to find the handsome vampire in his shed, but trying to balance being a craftsman and his stormy relationship with his chronically ill daughter means no time for a relationship. But when a hunter and a research scientist both threaten his daughter’s life in exchange for him making holy silver, Mercer has to deal with the morality of crafting metal deadly to vampires and grief from his wife’s murder. Rahil, immune to the silver, offers to work with him to develop the item. As mistakes from the past come to light, Mercer and Rahil must decide if guilt and grief will hold them back from finding new love and happiness.
I loved this book so much. You have Rahil Zaman, a kind, considerate, clever, charming, and handsome vampire that keeps himself emotionally distant to avoid people getting hurt. You have Mercer Bloncourt, a strong, talented, honest, gruff, and beautiful man that’s dedicated to protecting his daughter and providing the best life for her. The interactions between the main characters were funny, sweet, and vulnerable. I loved the scenes with Mercer’s daughter and how chronic illness was written with honesty and compassion. It was great seeing familiar faces from the previous books, and the suspense throughout the book was well done. Topics of grief, illness, secrets, and ethics were written wonderfully. I cheered for both Mercer and Rahil to heal from their pasts and have courage to pursue what they wanted throughout the story. Overall, if you like great found family dynamics, chronic illness representation, complex characters, and sweet finding-love-again mlm romance with fantastic spice, then I would highly recommend it.
Rahil Zaman has many reasons why he isolates himself from others, and only one of them is because he’s a vampire. He gets blood via dangerous one-nightstands on dating apps full of hunters. After an awful hookup, he finds himself trapped in the work shed of the person he wishes would give him a chance. Mercer Bloncourt didn’t expect to find the handsome vampire in his shed, but trying to balance being a craftsman and his stormy relationship with his chronically ill daughter means no time for a relationship. But when a hunter and a research scientist both threaten his daughter’s life in exchange for him making holy silver, Mercer has to deal with the morality of crafting metal deadly to vampires and grief from his wife’s murder. Rahil, immune to the silver, offers to work with him to develop the item. As mistakes from the past come to light, Mercer and Rahil must decide if guilt and grief will hold them back from finding new love and happiness.
I loved this book so much. You have Rahil Zaman, a kind, considerate, clever, charming, and handsome vampire that keeps himself emotionally distant to avoid people getting hurt. You have Mercer Bloncourt, a strong, talented, honest, gruff, and beautiful man that’s dedicated to protecting his daughter and providing the best life for her. The interactions between the main characters were funny, sweet, and vulnerable. I loved the scenes with Mercer’s daughter and how chronic illness was written with honesty and compassion. It was great seeing familiar faces from the previous books, and the suspense throughout the book was well done. Topics of grief, illness, secrets, and ethics were written wonderfully. I cheered for both Mercer and Rahil to heal from their pasts and have courage to pursue what they wanted throughout the story. Overall, if you like great found family dynamics, chronic illness representation, complex characters, and sweet finding-love-again mlm romance with fantastic spice, then I would highly recommend it.
May 14, 2025
4.75/5 stars
Thank you D. N. Bryn for the lovely eARC ❤️
D. N. Bryn does it again folks, another great installment to the Guide for Dating Vampires series 👏🏽 I enjoyed this one more than the previous installment, but lemme tell you all the books are super enjoyable
Mercer and Rahil were great to read about and I love their relationship and dynamic. Additionally, I like that they are older than the other relationships in the series ☝🏼 while they age differently by being Fae and Vampire, they are still older (yup yup). And I may be dumb and not remembering, but I was flabbergasted when Merc said he was Fae 😭 I forgot that other creatures exist and not just vampires.
Also, the bondage moments could have gone into smut territory, but it was so soft and full of love you could tell. I personally LOVE bondage that shows full care and love for both parties and the trust that needs to occur with it. Well done and probably one of the better books when it comes to the sex.
I would have liked to see more of the people that Rahil lives with, and it was always lovely to see people from the other books! Every time the trial about Wes came up I was stressed, and now I’m super stressed that he lost 🧍🏽 I need to see how that ends pronto man. William can die (and he did 🫶🏼) what a bitch, I hate that man. Killing an innocent bat, hurting the fam, AND ALMOST KILLING KAT??? He got what he deserved.
I will say, I would have liked to see more movement I guess I would say. It felt stagnant at times since a majority of the story happened either at Mercer’s shed or house, and Rahil’s house. I loved the bits when the two lads were out and about which helped with any monotony. Ending had me stressing like all the other books of course, and let me tell you when Rahil swallowed the holy silver 😀 don’t play with me like that, I could not put the book down in the ending.
While the reveal about Rahil and Leah came a lot later than I would have liked, I do love my delicious angst that comes from it 😈
All in all, I cannot wait for the next book in the series and I will also be reading the upcoming novella with Isaiah 🙂↕️🙂↕️
Thank you D. N. Bryn for the lovely eARC ❤️
D. N. Bryn does it again folks, another great installment to the Guide for Dating Vampires series 👏🏽 I enjoyed this one more than the previous installment, but lemme tell you all the books are super enjoyable
Mercer and Rahil were great to read about and I love their relationship and dynamic. Additionally, I like that they are older than the other relationships in the series ☝🏼 while they age differently by being Fae and Vampire, they are still older (yup yup). And I may be dumb and not remembering, but I was flabbergasted when Merc said he was Fae 😭 I forgot that other creatures exist and not just vampires.
Also, the bondage moments could have gone into smut territory, but it was so soft and full of love you could tell. I personally LOVE bondage that shows full care and love for both parties and the trust that needs to occur with it. Well done and probably one of the better books when it comes to the sex.
I would have liked to see more of the people that Rahil lives with, and it was always lovely to see people from the other books! Every time the trial about Wes came up I was stressed, and now I’m super stressed that he lost 🧍🏽 I need to see how that ends pronto man. William can die (and he did 🫶🏼) what a bitch, I hate that man. Killing an innocent bat, hurting the fam, AND ALMOST KILLING KAT??? He got what he deserved.
I will say, I would have liked to see more movement I guess I would say. It felt stagnant at times since a majority of the story happened either at Mercer’s shed or house, and Rahil’s house. I loved the bits when the two lads were out and about which helped with any monotony. Ending had me stressing like all the other books of course, and let me tell you when Rahil swallowed the holy silver 😀 don’t play with me like that, I could not put the book down in the ending.
While the reveal about Rahil and Leah came a lot later than I would have liked, I do love my delicious angst that comes from it 😈
All in all, I cannot wait for the next book in the series and I will also be reading the upcoming novella with Isaiah 🙂↕️🙂↕️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2025
4.25/5
For a hot minute, I thought this one might be my favorite. It wasn’t but it was genuinely a really great interesting story.
Let’s talk about the series first. I genuinely don’t think you can read these as standalones anymore because of the plot. Romance-wise, sure, but you will be missing significant context about the world, and the epilogue would make no sense at all without prior knowledge. I would say book 2 is most important, but book 1 and 3 characters also pop up, and you need content from both honestly for a side character. I am intrigued to see how Bryn wraps it all up in the final one, because there is a lot going on and so many characters doing so many different things.
All of that said, I really enjoyed this one. It’s a completely different vibe and dynamic, and the characters have very different lived experiences than the previous ones do, which make for a great variety in a series that could have otherwise gotten stale.
Most of the side characters weren’t new or had very little depth save for Merc’s daughter, Lydia. I loved her. She felt fully realized and read like a teenager, and was smart and funny, and someone I’d be so interested to see grow.
Our two main characters are so flawed in their own ways and I liked the way they could relate to each other and fit together, and I enjoyed their respective dynamics with Lydia. I enjoyed the contrast of flirty to deceive and stoic to deceive, and their dynamic was very interesting.
My biggest problem with this one is that it really does feel instalove-y. And it seems to go out of its way to try not to do that, but it feels that way to me anyway. Their flirtation and eventual giving in to going out was really interesting and really great, but once they got there, it was all but instant. And I think that took me out of it a little bit. I think they easily could have gotten there, but the way they did wasn’t particularly convincing.
But honestly, I kinda flew through this one. It was well plotted and well paced and the story and romance were both compelling. No drag here for this author, for sure, and I’m excited to see how it all wraps up in the next one.
Thank you to the author for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
For a hot minute, I thought this one might be my favorite. It wasn’t but it was genuinely a really great interesting story.
Let’s talk about the series first. I genuinely don’t think you can read these as standalones anymore because of the plot. Romance-wise, sure, but you will be missing significant context about the world, and the epilogue would make no sense at all without prior knowledge. I would say book 2 is most important, but book 1 and 3 characters also pop up, and you need content from both honestly for a side character. I am intrigued to see how Bryn wraps it all up in the final one, because there is a lot going on and so many characters doing so many different things.
All of that said, I really enjoyed this one. It’s a completely different vibe and dynamic, and the characters have very different lived experiences than the previous ones do, which make for a great variety in a series that could have otherwise gotten stale.
Most of the side characters weren’t new or had very little depth save for Merc’s daughter, Lydia. I loved her. She felt fully realized and read like a teenager, and was smart and funny, and someone I’d be so interested to see grow.
Our two main characters are so flawed in their own ways and I liked the way they could relate to each other and fit together, and I enjoyed their respective dynamics with Lydia. I enjoyed the contrast of flirty to deceive and stoic to deceive, and their dynamic was very interesting.
My biggest problem with this one is that it really does feel instalove-y. And it seems to go out of its way to try not to do that, but it feels that way to me anyway. Their flirtation and eventual giving in to going out was really interesting and really great, but once they got there, it was all but instant. And I think that took me out of it a little bit. I think they easily could have gotten there, but the way they did wasn’t particularly convincing.
But honestly, I kinda flew through this one. It was well plotted and well paced and the story and romance were both compelling. No drag here for this author, for sure, and I’m excited to see how it all wraps up in the next one.
Thank you to the author for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
May 26, 2025
I cried, so 5 stars!
There’s something really powerful about stories that let grief and love coexist—not in competition with each other, but side by side, feeding into something honest and healing. This book? It nails that balance.
Rahil and Mercer are both single dads who have struggled with fatherhood, both men who’ve loved deeply and lost hard. Watching them stumble into each other’s orbit, then slowly begin to make space for something new, was genuinely moving. Their relationship isn’t just about chemistry (though there’s plenty of that); it’s about understanding and acceptance. About being seen by someone who gets it. They’ve both been through the kind of pain that leaves a permanent mark, and instead of flinching from each other’s scars, they build something from them. The grief in this book wrecked me. In the best way. I also adored Lydia. Her bond with her father, and her growing bond with Rahil, added so much depth to the story. And I was just as invested in her as I was in the romance. And then there’s the rep: ace and pan, chronic illness, trauma and grief. The found family aspect is strong here and the quiet understanding that love, familial or romantic, takes work and vulnerability.
And the story is so interesting with its vampires and holy silver, and experimental metallurgy. I loved that the characters were older, full of regrets, but still doing their best. I loved that the vampire wasn’t some ancient, brooding figure, just a slightly older guy trying to figure his shit out. I loved the tenderness, the mistakes, the humor, the healing.
And now I absolutely need to go back and read the earlier books in this connected series. And as a final note, when the whale became two whales, I sobbed happy tears. iykyk
Thanks so much to the author for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
There’s something really powerful about stories that let grief and love coexist—not in competition with each other, but side by side, feeding into something honest and healing. This book? It nails that balance.
Rahil and Mercer are both single dads who have struggled with fatherhood, both men who’ve loved deeply and lost hard. Watching them stumble into each other’s orbit, then slowly begin to make space for something new, was genuinely moving. Their relationship isn’t just about chemistry (though there’s plenty of that); it’s about understanding and acceptance. About being seen by someone who gets it. They’ve both been through the kind of pain that leaves a permanent mark, and instead of flinching from each other’s scars, they build something from them. The grief in this book wrecked me. In the best way. I also adored Lydia. Her bond with her father, and her growing bond with Rahil, added so much depth to the story. And I was just as invested in her as I was in the romance. And then there’s the rep: ace and pan, chronic illness, trauma and grief. The found family aspect is strong here and the quiet understanding that love, familial or romantic, takes work and vulnerability.
And the story is so interesting with its vampires and holy silver, and experimental metallurgy. I loved that the characters were older, full of regrets, but still doing their best. I loved that the vampire wasn’t some ancient, brooding figure, just a slightly older guy trying to figure his shit out. I loved the tenderness, the mistakes, the humor, the healing.
And now I absolutely need to go back and read the earlier books in this connected series. And as a final note, when the whale became two whales, I sobbed happy tears. iykyk
Thanks so much to the author for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
July 12, 2025
4⭐️ 2🌶️
MOOD: emotional, funny, hopeful, lighthearted
TROPES: Found family
GENRES: contemporary, supernatural, lgbtq+ romance
VIBES/REPRESENTATION: bipoc mc, ace-rep, late in life bisexual, bdsm-lite, daddy/boy
FAV QUOTE: "Though if there was anyone worth stalking, it would be you." My god, had he just said that? He had just said that. Maybe he deserved to die, actually.
MAIN CHARACTERS: Rahil Zaman and Mercer Bloncourt
I have read Guides for Dating Vampires #1 and 2 but not 3. I also took way too long to read this book and feel bad about that.
THE GOOD: This is another great addition to the Guides for Dating Vampires world. Rahil and Mercer have a bumpy start, almost a non-start, to their relationship but Rahil is persistence and they both are lonely. These characters are older so they bring different perspectives to this world, including vampirism and the risks associated with turning. As always, I appreciated D.N. Bryn's ability to include characters who are uncertain of themselves and their place in the lgbtq community - in this case, asexuality is explored and discussed.
THE NEUTRAL: There are a lot of coincidences regarding the characters and how they meet and interact. It's been awhile since I've read #1 and #2 so I can't remember if that's always a thread in this world or if it's unique to this book. It happened a little too often.
THE MEH: I didn't need a chapter from a third point of view late in the book - it happens about 85% of the way through and doesn't add much to the story.
CW: blood, violence, animal abuse, death, death of a parent, sexual content
DISCLAIMER: I received an advance review copy. This is my honest review.
MOOD: emotional, funny, hopeful, lighthearted
TROPES: Found family
GENRES: contemporary, supernatural, lgbtq+ romance
VIBES/REPRESENTATION: bipoc mc, ace-rep, late in life bisexual, bdsm-lite, daddy/boy
FAV QUOTE: "Though if there was anyone worth stalking, it would be you." My god, had he just said that? He had just said that. Maybe he deserved to die, actually.
MAIN CHARACTERS: Rahil Zaman and Mercer Bloncourt
I have read Guides for Dating Vampires #1 and 2 but not 3. I also took way too long to read this book and feel bad about that.
THE GOOD: This is another great addition to the Guides for Dating Vampires world. Rahil and Mercer have a bumpy start, almost a non-start, to their relationship but Rahil is persistence and they both are lonely. These characters are older so they bring different perspectives to this world, including vampirism and the risks associated with turning. As always, I appreciated D.N. Bryn's ability to include characters who are uncertain of themselves and their place in the lgbtq community - in this case, asexuality is explored and discussed.
THE NEUTRAL: There are a lot of coincidences regarding the characters and how they meet and interact. It's been awhile since I've read #1 and #2 so I can't remember if that's always a thread in this world or if it's unique to this book. It happened a little too often.
THE MEH: I didn't need a chapter from a third point of view late in the book - it happens about 85% of the way through and doesn't add much to the story.
CW: blood, violence, animal abuse, death, death of a parent, sexual content
DISCLAIMER: I received an advance review copy. This is my honest review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews